A Heavy Heart To Carry
by gimme shelter
Summary: sequel to Heavy In Your Arms, what does the future hold for madison and eric and what new troubles will fate throw in their way x please review x  x part 3 in trilogy :  x
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Sweet Dreams

Madison stood Fangtasia, it was crowded full of people, Rigel was pacing furiously liked a caged animal, and the whole crowd was buzzing faintly with whispers. Eric stood across the room from her; his eyes never left her as they all waited for news. The big problem Godric had been referring to was revealed when they all gathered together, everyone was there, Madison, Eric, Godric, Pam, Sookie, Bill, her father, Li, Sam, Evie, Jason, Calvin, Rigel, Alcide and his pack and a few vampires who were high up in power, after all it concerned all of them. Rodrigo was due to arrive within the hour with Lucian and Michael; he had also said a few of his pack members would be coming to add extra protection for Michael.

Madison couldn't stand the waiting, every second counted now and she wanted to get going. Finally 45 minutes later Rodrigo arrived with the others and they could finally get started, Godric stood up and the room silenced instantly, as happy as they were to see each other no one was greeting each other warmly and smiling, they were all focused on what they had to do,

' Everyone, you have all been summoned for a reason I assure you and I'm sorry for the wait but I wanted everyone here before we discuss this'

' How bad is this Godric?' Sookie asked timidly, she was still incredibly shaken up from the torture session she and Madison had endured at the hands of Naeve and Lochlan,

' Earlier we received word that a new nest has settled just outside of Shreveport, this nest is not unknown to us, we are aware of who they are and how dangerous they are'

' Who are they Godric?' Madison's father Charles asked,

' They are the vampires who took Dominic and changed him years ago, now they've found him and returned for him, a few hours ago they took him' Godric said solemnly, Madison felt a dull pain course through her, she felt awful she'd been so wrapped up in her own problems and killing prudence and the magister that she had ignored everything else around her, including Dominic's fear,

' Do you know where the nest is?' she asked Godric

' We did, I sent people to retrieve him but they have moved the nest, now we have to find them again' she nodded and rubbed her face,

' I can send people out to scout the area and see if they've heard anything' Eric said and Godric nodded in agreement, Madison smiled at him across the room. They didn't get to make further plans, the door to Fangtasia burst open and Nan Flanagan walked in surrounded by her usual posse,

' To what do I owe the honour of you bursting into my club when it's closed Nan?' Eric said smoothly as she crossed the floor to stand in front of him,

' Cut the crap, the magister's missing and he was last seen here, you wouldn't know anything would you Mr Northman?'

' He was here, he was babbling about some new hybrid and saying he was certain it was somewhere near, I knew nothing about it and after he attacked me, he finally left'

' He left, just like that?'

' I didn't know anything and he knew I wasn't lying, I don't know where he went after he left'

' I showed him out personally and he didn't say where he was going' Pam said confidently, Nan eyed her and nodded,

' Another vampire is also missing, Prudence, she came here a few times on business, have you seen her?'

' Not for months Nan' he said smiling

' Well if you hear or see anything let me know, what is this little meeting for anyway?' she asked suspiciously,

' There's a new nest in town, they've taken one of our friends, perhaps they are the ones you should be looking for as well Nan?' she raised an eyebrow

' Like I said if you hear anything call me immediately' she turned and walked out of the club followed by her posse,

' This just gets better' Madison said sitting down and pushing her hair out of her face

' We'll deal with that later, first lets find Dominic' Godric said calmly.

Madison sat in her kitchen, she felt so helpless, she couldn't do anything to help Dominic until Eric's scouts returned with information and she now had to worry about being found out for killing the magister and Prudence. Eric glided into the kitchen from the back door and sat opposite her in silence, she pushed her hair away again and looked at him forcing a smile,

' They wont find out it was you Maddie I'll make sure of it'

' No you wont, it could implicate you or Pam and I wont have that Eric'

' From that statement I assume you have an idea?'

' I'm working on it, any news on Dominic?'

' Nothing yet, none of the scouts have returned yet though Pam has orders to call me when they do' she nodded

' I hate feeling helpless, what's the point of having all this power and not using it?'

' You do use it'

' Yes I use it to kill, that's all I've done with it: killed'

' What do you want to do with it?' he said removing his leather jacket and hanging it over the back of his chair,

' I want to use it to track Dominic and take out that bitch that's taken him again, if she's changed him I don't care what I just said I will be using my power to kill her in an excruciating way'

' And I will be right to watch you rain down a world of pain on her' he smirked and she couldn't help laughing,

' That's better, I like to see you smile' he said smiling genuinely, he stood up and walked round the table to her,

' Maddie can we talk about earlier?'

' Yes I guess we should'

' I know there's a lot going on but I want to know if earlier what was about to happen was genuine or just a reaction to everything that's been happening?'

' We're bonded by blood do you really need me to answer that?'

' I guess I don't but I want to hear you say it'

' Oh you and your male ego' she said standing up, she smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist, Eric wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead gently,

' Does this mean I'm your man friend again?' she laughed against his chest as he smiled and pushed some hair out of her face,

' You will always be my man friend' he leant down and they kissed passionately, she missed those lips.

Two more days passed and there was still no news about Dominic, some of the scouts still hadn't returned and Eric had gotten to the point where he'd had to send out more scouts to find them. Madison was getting tired of sitting around doing nothing, she worked at Merlotte's more and eventually the whole gang had started to congregate in Merlotte's waiting for news, Rodrigo had sent out his best trackers but the vampires were proving difficult to find. When another five days passed and Dominic had been missing for a week she finally snapped, she sat on the floor in her lounge and laid out a map of the whole of Louisiana, she sat before it and closed her eyes and focused on finding Dominic. She sat there for an hour and got nothing, Eric walked in and stared at her,

' What are you doing?' he asked perplexed

' Trying to find Dominic'

' Oh I see you're trying out your powers, any luck?' he said sitting opposite her,

' No, I don't think he's even in this state anymore Eric, I don't know what to do?'

' We'll figure this out' he said moving to sit next to her,

' I hope so, I can't even sense him anymore'

' Do you think that means she's turned him?'

' No I think I'd feel his pain if that happened, being turned is worse than death to Dominic, I'll know if she does that, his pain will be unimaginable' Eric put his arm around her and nudged the map away with his foot,

' You need to sleep' he said kissing her head gently

' If I sleep you don't get to spend time with me'

' I spend time with you when you sleep'

' Creepy' he smiled and kissed her again

' Do you want me to stay, you do have these wonderful tinted windows so the sun cant get to me?'

' I'd like that' she said smiling, he pulled her up and they walked upstairs, Madison laid down on the bed and Eric pulled her shoes and clothes off and removed his own shirt and put it on her,

' Sweet dreams min älskade' he whispered as he lay next to her.

Well guys here we go again, I hope you enjoy this instalment, a big thank you to

Forever secretive for helping me with translations x review if you like x


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Unwelcome Visit

The days flew by and there was still no sign of Dominic, now everyone was joining Madison in her worry, Madison was certain he hadn't been hurt, she'd have felt it. At his request, when she'd known him a few months, she bit him to bond him to her so she could keep tabs on him, she knew how worried he had been then at the thought of his old nest taking him. Eric was a rock to her and wasn't behaving like typical Eric when he was around her, she missed him and she was dying to get things started between them again. What she hated the most was since she'd killed Prudence it had been easier to be around him, especially since he didn't judge her for killing Prudence. She sat in the one of the booths in Merlotte's lost in her own thoughts,

' Wanna talk about it?' Sam said kindly as he sat opposite her

' You don't need to hear any more of my problems Sam' she said un-tying her ponytail,

' Maddie I'm your friend, I know you, I know you're worried about Dominic, talk to me' she sighed,

' I just keep thinking I should be doing more' she said gravely

' Maddie you cant expose yourself with Nan Flanagan sniffing around, if she finds out that _"the hybrid"_ the magister was looking for when he went missing actually exists it'll bring a world of trouble'

' I know, Eric told me about the big authority she works for but this is bullshit what's the point in having power when you cant use it?'

' I get you, there's times when I want nothing more than to just show what I am and be able to run around as a dog whenever I want but it's not just us we have to think about'

' Yeah I know…I hate that' she said jokingly, Sam smiled

' Don't worry Maddie Dominic will be ok'

' I hope so'

' I get the feeling that Dominic isn't the only thing bugging you?'

' Sam I don't want to get you involved'

' Well too late you involved me the day you met me so spill'

' Remember when Nan came in asking about the magister?'

' Yeah'

' And that other vampire that went missing?'

' Yeah…'

' It was me Sam, I killed them both'

' Fuck…why though?'

' The magister was torturing Eric to name _"the hybrid"_ and I couldn't stand seeing someone I care about get hurt because they're hiding what I am, so I killed the magister'

' Ok fair play I see why you killed him but why the other vampire?'

' She was the magister's source of information, she led him to Shreveport plus she was the one who screwed Eric' she said the last part a little more quietly but Sam with his dog heightened hearing heard her,

' Bet you enjoyed that kill then?' he said smiling warmly, she loved Sam for not judging her,

' Maybe a little' she said smiling a little.

Her talk with Sam had helped, she was glad he knew what she'd done; she hated to keep secrets from him after everything they'd been through. The days started flying by until it had been a month since his old nest had taken Dominic, she'd been focusing with great intensity everyday for any little twinge of Dominic, but there was nothing. She tried to occupy herself by spending the days with Sookie; she took to using her witchcraft freely in Sookie's house to spare Sookie and her aching joints from waiting on her,

' How are you feeling?' Madison asked as she effortlessly levitated the jug of iced tea from the kitchen to the lounge,

' Better than I was, Bill's been a huge help, he paid for me to have some physiotherapy to help my leg heal better'

' Wow that was nice of him not to mention a good idea I never even thought of that'

' Yeah it's kind of nice to have him around again'

' Admit it Sook, you've missed him and you want to get back with him?'

' I do but I just can't get Lorena and his betrayal out of my head'

' I find killing the other woman very therapeutic' Sookie gaped at her

' Maddie you shouldn't say that!'

' I know I know but it's true'

' Well I wouldn't have a chance against Lorena, even Bill struggles'

' I don't' Madison smirked wickedly

' Don't tempt me to ask you' Sookie said smiling

' So Maddie can I ask your advice on something?'

' Sure go ahead'

' Claude, you remember Claude right?'

' Tall dark and handsome in an unforgettably handsome way, nope no idea Sook' she said sarcastically

' Ha ha, anyway he asked to move in with me'

' Ok, little out of the blue'

' I think it's because he misses Claudine and most other fairies left when Niall closed all connections with our world'

' I didn't know he did that?'

' Yeah he wanted to prevent anything like that happening again but apparently a couple have stayed behind, Claude included'

' Well maybe he wants his family close by, would it be so awful having him here?'

' No I'm ok with it actually I just wanted a second opinion, you know in case…'

' In case I thought something was a bit off about the whole thing?'

' Well yeah, but I'll tell him yes'

' Good. I…' Madison stopped mid sentence and sat up listening intensely

' What is it?' Sookie asked failing to mask the worry in her voice, Madison held up a hand to shush her, they both listened and could hear footsteps creeping across the upstairs of Sookie's house,

' Stay here Sook' Madison stood up and walked to the doorway, she crept slowly upstairs and just as she reached the top step she was sent flying back down the stairs where she crash landed into the wall. Sookie ran out of the lounge in shock,

' Oh my god Maddie are you ok?' Madison rolled over and pulled herself up, she could sense the thing that attacked her coming back

' Run Sook' she said quietly, Sookie didn't hesitate she knew Madison well enough by now to listen, Sookie ran out into the nightfall and straight into Bill,

' Bill oh my sweet Jesus Maddie is…'

' Being attacked I know I could hear it' they both turned as they heard Madison shouting at the thing that had attacked her, she kept raising her hands to chest level and tensing her fingers up, every time she did the creature seemed to be burnt or almost blown up,

' How is she doing that?' Sookie asked Bill as she watched Madison and the creature completely mesmerized,

' It's her witchcraft she has the ability to do a lot of things but she has to keep practising'

' So he can blow things up?'

' Apparently, not a bad gift to have when there are demons around'

' That's a full demon?'

' Yes quite different to Mr Cataliades aren't they?'

' You said it' they both returned to watching Madison throw the demon around with her telekinesis and attempt to blow it up,

' What's going on?' Eric asked, he'd dropped from the sky so Sookie assumed he'd sensed the panic and flown

' Madison is killing a demon' Bill said almost like a proud parent

' Her first demon' Eric said smiling, his smile faded quickly as the demon turned and one second he was near Madison the next he was right in front of Sookie,

' No one move' the demon murmured in a deep husky voice.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: I'm Not Dead

Everyone was still, the demon was over 6ft and half his face was acid green scales, his eyes held a reddish tinge and he had small razor sharp teeth other than that most of his characteristics were human. Madison was twitching her fingers and as Sookie caught her eye she knew what to do, Sookie ducked and threw herself across the ground, Madison raised her hands again and froze the demon where he stood before he could react. Everyone jumped when she was right next to them instead of near the house,

' How did you do that?' Bill asked in shock

' Teleportation, very nice' Eric said admiringly

' I'm just glad it worked I haven't used it before' she said with relief

' What teleporting?' Sookie asked

' No freezing, I've done it on small objects but not on anything living' the demon was still like a living statue,

' So what's the plan?' Eric asked

' Gimme a minute I have to concentrate on this or it could all go very wrong' she walked over to the demon and raised one hand, she waved it slowly near his face and instantly he moved his head, he looked around in surprise,

' How did you do that?' he asked her in surprise

' I get to ask the questions, who are you and why are you trying to kill me?'

' I'm Baus and because that's what I do, I'm paid to kill and I was hired to take you out'

' By who?'

' I don't know whoever it was sent one of their little minions to offer me the job, I've never met them'

' Well that's not helpful'

' If I knew believe me I'd tell you the prospect of spending the rest of my life like this doesn't thrill me'

' So what happens when you go back and tell them you didn't complete your job?'

' They'll kill me'

' What makes you think we wont?' Eric said coldly

' I know you will, if it helps the one who was sent to contact me was a vampire' that got everyone's attention,

' What did they he…she look like?' Madison asked him folding her arms

' He was young when he was made, red haired, blue eyed, he's old and strong I never knew his name'

' If I let you go are you going to come back?'

' Are you insane, I'm going into hiding' she could feel his fear, she unfolded her arms and tensed her hands up, unfreezing him. The demon stretched his arms and legs and cracked his neck,

' Thank you' he said sincerely,

' Go' she said and he was gone,

' So what now?' Eric asked, Madison held up her hand, she was pinching something between her fingers; Eric saw a fine red hair between her fingers and smiled,

' You appear to have a plan?'

' I believe whoever sent him to kill me took Dominic, who else would want me out of the way that much?'

' So you're going to use the hair to track the vampire?' Sookie asked

' Yes, should be fairly simple in theory'.

Madison had tracked the vampire, Eric was with her while Bill stayed with Sookie, they walked through an industrial area full of abandoned factories, they could both sense him and Madison was doing her best to shield their presence from him. They moved quietly through the alleyways until they saw him, he was feeding from a woman who was practically dead. They moved closer and his head jerked up but not to look at them, he turned and screamed, he dropped the woman and turned back round before falling apart in front of them into a bloody heap.

' Well that was a waste of time' Madison said angrily throwing her jacket over a chair in her kitchen,

' Someone knew we were going after him' Eric said sitting down

' You think the demon sold us out?' she said sitting opposite him

' No I think there may have been someone else there with us tonight when you caught him'

' Great so now we're being watched'

' Possibly, or they had someone watching the vampire just in case the demon cracked'

' Great we lost our only lead on finding Dominic'

' We'll find him' he kissed her hand ' I promise'.

A week passed and nothing happened, it was like normal life, but at that point if it meant finding her friend Madison would happily give up normality. Eric stayed at her house permanently, he went out with her every night she had off and they tried to get some leads on finding Dominic. Though most of the nights out new demons were springing up and attacking, not all of them were being paid to attack and Eric was getting concerned about the new rise in demons. Despite everything that was going on Eric was still determined to get closer to Madison, she let him hold her every night and they had kissed constantly but she was avoiding going any further with him. He knew it was his fault, she didn't totally trust him since the whole thing with Prudence and he couldn't blame her; if the roles were reversed he wouldn't trust her either. Madison sat in Eric's office, she sat in Eric's chair and closed her eyes she was focusing on anything she could get, she still couldn't get a read on Dominic and she was getting frustrated. She opened her eyes and was about to get up when she felt it, she could feel Dominic calling for her, she closed her eyes, and she was determined to get a location. She opened her eyes, she wasn't in Eric's office anymore, she was standing on a beach, she could smell the salt in the air and Dominic's cry was getting stronger. The sun would be setting soon here, she was in a different time zone that was for sure, she looked around and saw a cave down the beach, she was sure Dominic was in there. She ran down the beach to the cave, she listened but there was no one else there, Dominic's cry however was stronger than ever, she walked inside and saw him, he was chained up on the floor and he looked incredibly weak,

' Dominic…can you hear me?' she said kneeling next to him, he nodded and mumbled,

' Ok let's get you out of here' she said stroking his hair.

Eric was pacing his office when she teleported back; she laid Dominic on the couch and stood back up,

' Where was he?' Eric asked her

' I don't know, different country I guess there was a different time zone it was still light there'

' I've called for Dr Ludwig, she'll be here soon' he said putting a hand on her shoulder,

' Thank you' she said smiling at him.

Dr Ludwig took Dominic to her hospital, Rigel was going to meet them at the hospital to guard Dominic, Madison sat at home waiting for Eric, he finally arrived two hours later after Pam showed up to take over at Fangtasia,

' You waited up?' he said smiling

' Well I owe you a thank you' she said smiling at him

' What for?'

' Thinking ahead and…for being here with me every night when I really needed you, I know I've been…well difficult lately'

' You've had a lot to deal with'

' That's no excuse' she said kissing him, Eric pulled back after a minute but she pulled him close again,

' I thought you needed more time…' he said between kissed

' I needed a little time Eric I'm not dead' she said smirking.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Hunting

Madison and Eric were upstairs in seconds; they were tearing at each other's clothes relentlessly,

'Älska med mig' Eric murmured in her ear, she smiled as he ran his hands down her bare back.

She lay in bed with Eric, their bodies were wound tightly together and his arms enveloped her filling her with a strange warmth that she'd missed for the last few months,

' I've missed this' Eric whispered into her hair

' What cuddling, you big softie Eric' she felt his body shake with silent laughter

' Well that and mostly I've missed you' he said kissing her head, Madison smiled and snuggled against his body.

The next day she headed over to Dr Ludwig's temporary hospital to see how Dominic was feeling, Rigel was still standing guard outside,

' Hey Rigel, how's he doing?'

' He's been better but Dr Ludwig's worked her magic on him and he's on the mend' she nodded and walked past him into the room, Dominic was sitting up in bed, he looked better than he had when she'd found him,

' Hey how are you feeling?' she said sitting on the bed next to him

' Been better but I could be worse if it wasn't for you' he said smiling, she held his hand and smiled,

' I wish I'd found you sooner'

' I'm just happy you found me at all'

' Dominic, tell me what happened?' he took a deep breath and squeezed her hand

' I was alone and then suddenly Whitney appeared and kicked the shit out of me, I blacked out and when I woke up it was just endless torture, all of them saying things like I should never have left the nest and that they were going to turn me again, the torment continued and then there you were'

' Oh fuck…Dominic I'm so sorry I should have tried harder to find you, we had trackers and I used magic but nothing worked'

' Well it wouldn't, Whitney has employed a witch to protect the area where she kept me, I was amazed you found me'

' I'll stop them Dominic I promise'

' I know you will' he said smiling and showing some of his former self.

Madison stopped by her house after visiting Dominic and changed into her work uniform, she drove to Merlotte's with her head swimming with thoughts of what she'd do to Whitney and her nest when she found them. Merlotte's parking lot was pretty empty but she had expected that, there was a big school football game on and most of the town turned out to support the team. Sam was wiping the bar down when she walked in,

' Hey Sam'

' Hey Maddie, how's Dominic doing?'

' He's better, I just keep thinking I should have found him sooner'

' You can't think like that Maddie'

' That's what Eric says'

' Then you should listen he's over 1000 years old he knows what he's talking about'

' I know' she said pulling her hair back.

Her shift flew by and before she knew it she was driving back to her house, she had time to shower and change before Eric showed up,

' Why are you dressed?' he said coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist as he kissed her neck

' I'm going out'

' Where?'

' Hunting' he stopped kissing her and turned her to face him

' Are you serious?'

' Deadly' she said seriously

' Then I'm going with you'

' You don't have to'

' Are you serious, I haven't had a good fight for ages, plus I like seeing you in action' he said smirking and pulling her closer.

They walked through the deserted street in Shreveport; it was 2am so most people were now asleep, Madison could feel one of them was close, they'd sent a scout to find Dominic,

' So what's your plan?' Eric asked quietly as he walked beside her

' Severely injure the scout then follow them back to the nest and kill them all'

' Sounds good' Eric said smiling

' Does it concern you when I get bloodthirsty like this?' she asked him smiling

' Actually it turns me on' he said smirking back at her, she laughed quietly as they walked on.

They kept pacing the area for another hour, Madison could sense the presence of the scout getting closer, this was one of Whitney's progeny otherwise she wouldn't be able to sense them so much. She paused mid step, the scouts presence was getting closer every minute, Eric looked at her and then turned to look around, he could sense another vampire,

' They're close' he said quietly, Madison nodded and they moved forward slowly and stayed close to each other, they stopped when they saw a figure just ahead of them with their back turned to them. Madison gripped Eric's arm and less than a second later they were right in front of him,

' Who are you?' he said stammering slightly in a thick Russian accent, Madison smiled

' Where is Whitney?' she said in a low menacing voice

' How do you know…' it suddenly dawned on him how they knew who Whitney was and why they were here,

' I know nothing I swear' he said stammering slightly worse than before

' I think you do' Madison said

' Who are you?' Eric asked

' Demetri Belanov' he said regaining some pride in himself

' Well Demetri I strongly suggest you answer her questions or I'll rip you arms off' Eric said in a warning voice, Demetri knew they were serious and sighed,

' She'll kill me when she knows I've spoken to you'

' Not my problem, if you tell me where she is I may let you live' Madison said in an emotionless voice, Eric couldn't help the small smile that played on his lips,

' She told me to track her old progeny Dominic down and bring him back, I had nothing to do with taking him I was in Russia when she did it' Madison nodded slowly and he continued,

' I have no wish to take him back if I had the chance at humanity again I would take it in a heartbeat, I bear him no ill will' she knew he was being honest

' Why don't you leave?' Eric asked

' I've tried so many times, Whitney is very possessive and dangerous, she's going to come for you to use you against Dominic' he said to Madison

' Leave, I'll spread word around that I killed you for trespassing in my area' Eric said, Madison squeezed his hand appreciatively, she could feel Demetri's inner torment at being unable to escape Whitney and she pitied him. He looked at Eric in surprise,

' Why would you help me?'

' Believe me I'm not doing this for you' Eric said quietly, Demetri turned and then looked back,

' She's hiding just outside of Shreveport, there's an abandoned house in the woods, they're there' Madison gave him a small smile as he turned and disappeared into the shadows,

' What now?' Eric asked her pulling her close to him

' We wait, she'll emerge sooner or later and I'd rather fight her on our terms'.

A huge thankyou to Forever secretive for the translations x

Älska med mig- make love with me


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: A Bump In The Road

Madison visited Dominic everyday and when Dr Ludwig released him she moved him into her house so he could recuperate with some safety. Rigel was there most of the time and Alcide stopped by most nights as well, she was spending a lot of her time at work or at Eric's. She was determined to find out as much about Whitney as possible, but so far she hadn't come up with much. Eric was also busy trying to find out about the vampires who had moved into the area and made their presence known, they were becoming more and more brutal, super naturals of all species were turning up dead or had vanished without a trace.

Madison drove from Eric's to work one night, it was colder at this time of year and she cranked up the heating in her mustang and settled back as she pushed down on the gas to get there quicker. She was half way there when she had to swerve to avoid something in the road; she stopped and got out,

' What the fuck!' she said walking over to the heap in the road, she nudged it with her foot and the heap groaned,

' Oh my god…Demetri is that you?'

' Madison?'

' What happened?' she said helping him up

' She sent her trackers after me'

' Her trackers?'

' She pays were wolves to change young men for her then she feeds them her blood to make them stronger, she calls them her trackers'

' How badly hurt are you?'

' Well they think I'm dead, I've been hiding in the ground all day but I've lost a lot of blood I need to feed'

' I'll take you to the bar, you can knock back as many tru bloods as you want on me since I got you into this'

' No you didn't Madison, she has no idea I spoke to you and Eric, she just thinks I was running away from her, turns out she quite often sends them out to keep tabs on me if I'm away for a certain amount of time' she helped him into the car and drove to the bar.

She told Sam everything and he helped her get Demetri into the office, he pulled a crate of tru blood's out of storage for him while she called Eric and told him what happened,

' Are you sure he's not leading Whitney to you?'

' If you saw him you wouldn't ask that…plus I read his mind, he's terrified and he's not telling me something'

' Can you not find out what?'

' He's refusing to think about it but I'll try, whatever it is it's scared him more than Whitney and her trackers'

' Be careful Maddie

' I will' she hung up and walked into the office, Demetri had already drained four bottles and was on his fifth, he looked better already,

' I can't thank you enough for this Madison, how can I ever repay you?' he said smiling at her,

' Well why don't you tell me what really spooked you out there because I know it wasn't Whitney or her trackers?'

' Madison I cant…you have no idea…it would bring so much trouble…'

' Demetri I can handle trouble now please tell me what's going on?' he looked hesitant and drained the rest of his bottle before he started speaking,

' I saw someone…someone I never expected to see, when I was made the Romanov family ruled Russia and of course when we heard about their demise it was huge news, I saw two vampires tonight one I did not know and one I know not from meeting him but from seeing so many pictures of him all those years ago'

' Who Demetri?'

' I am certain that the two vampires who have been killing in the area are these two, the older one is certainly his maker and I am certain that the one who looks like a child that travels with him is Alexei Romanov son of the tsar'

' Are you sure?'

' I would know him anywhere'

' Did they see you?'

' No but I have seen what they are capable of, they destroyed three of Whitney's trackers only one managed to escape'

' I have to tell Eric, would anyone know who made a young royal of Russia a vampire?'

' Some of the elder ones may know but I suspect it is something they are trying to keep hidden hence why no one has seen them yet'

' This is bad'

' Madison they are both old, the maker is strong but do not for a second underestimate the young one simply because he looks like a child, he is ruthless and he seemed slightly…what is the word…unhinged'

' Thank you Demetri, now we have to get you out of here safely'

' You have done so much for me already I cannot ask you to risk your life to help me again'

' You're not asking I'm offering, I have a friend who could get you to Brazil can you get back to Russia safely from there?'

' I'm certain I can, Whitney's reach doesn't extend that far plus she already thinks her trackers killed me before they were killed'.

She left Demetri to finish his tru blood, Sam pulled her aside and she told him everything, he was good enough to let Demetri go to ground out the back of Merlotte's until they had sorted out getting him to Brazil. She called Rodrigo next, he told her Lucian was in the area and he would have him escort Demetri to Brazil,

' Thanks for all your help Rodrigo'

' It's my pleasure to help you Madison'

' Rodrigo you've been around a while have you ever heard of a vampire who made one of the Russian royal his progeny?'

' There were rumours years ago that the young son of the tsar Nicholas Romanov had been turned after the family were massacred but they stopped when the humans found two bodies and identified them as the two youngest Romanovs, why do you ask?'

' Demetri is certain he saw Alexei Romanov with an older vampire tonight, he thinks they might be the two who have been killing super naturals around here lately'

' What do you think?'

' I would have known if he was lying Rodrigo and he seemed scared'

' Talk to Godric he would know better than anyone else and Russell Edgington if you can get hold of him, he has a wide knowledge on things like that'

' Thanks Rodrigo how's Michael and dad?'

' They're great, Michael is learning quickly and growing quicker'

' Give them my love wont you?'

' Of course I will'. She hung up and walked back through to the office, Sookie and Bill were in there,

' What are you guys doing here?' she said smiling

' Eric called and told us what happened, I've offered Demetri one of the hiding places in my house, it'll be more comfortable than the ground' Bill said smiling

' Thank you Bill, well I spoke to my friend Demetri, he's sending his friend to accompany you so it's all arranged you fly tomorrow evening'

' Thank you Madison if there is ever anything I can do please don't hesitate for a second to ask?'

' Thank you Demetri'.

She left Sookie and Bill with Demetri, they were both engrossed in his stories of old Russia, she pulled her phone out and dialled Eric,

' Good evening my lover' he answered huskily

' Good evening to you too, are you gonna be home soon?'

' In an hour or two why?'

' I may have a lead for you on those two vampires but I need to speak to Godric and Russell as well'

' You call Godric I'll get in touch with Russell'.

Please review x


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Theories 

Madison picked up Godric and they drove over together, she was curious as to why Godric had asked her to pick him up since he would get there much faster by himself on foot. She didn't have to wonder for very long though, she could tell Godric was anxious as he spoke,

' Madison this vampire, the older one, that Demetri spoke of, did he recognise him?'

' No just the younger one, why?'

' I have a terrible feeling about this, I must speak with Russell before I can confirm anything though'

' How bad is this Godric?'

' If it is who I think it is he is very old and very strong, there have been rumours for centuries that he may even be the first vampire though I myself do not believe them'

' You're worried about Eric'

' I'm worried about you as well, he shows up just as prudence is sent to find a "hybrid", he knows about you, not who you are or he would of attacked but he knows of you, I believe he desires your power'

' You know just for once I'd really like things to not be about me' she said quietly.

They arrived at Eric's house, the lights were off so Eric hadn't got hold of Russell yet, she opened the door and couldn't help feeling cautious, with all her powers she still felt vulnerable. The house was empty though and Pam arrived half an hour after they did,

' He's on his way, Russell just arrived' she said sitting down with Godric, Madison couldn't relax and chose to walk around in a daze. She was thankful when Eric arrived, despite the fact that she was stronger she still felt comforted having him close, Russell followed him in and smiled at her despite the low mood in the room,

' Well hello my dear'

' Hi Russell' he pulled her into a hug and whispered to her

' So glad you and the Viking are back on' he winked quickly as he pulled back and she smiled,

' Madison' Eric said in his most authoritative tone, she walked over to him in the kitchen

' _Has Godric said anything?'_ she smiled as he communicated with her telepathically, he usually refused to do this,

' Not much but he's concerned, maybe we should all talk and see what Russell and Godric know?' he nodded and they joined the others to find that Bill had joined them, she smiled at him and he inclined his head,

' Is Demetri safe?' she asked him as she sat down

' Yes, Alcide and Jason are with Sookie at Merlotte's keeping an eye on him until I return' she nodded and Russell and Godric stopped their private conversation and Russell stood up,

' Godric and I have been talking, after the recent evidence that was unearthed we believe we may know the identity of our mysterious guests'

' Well that's good surely?' Pam said

' No it's not' Godric said solemnly

' If it's who we think it is, it's very bad' Russell said looking as grim as Godric

' So who are they?' Eric said impatiently

' The young one is Alexei Romanov apparently, if that's true the elder he travels with, his maker, is Appius Livius Ocella' Godric said, he looked more downcast than ever after saying the name,

' Who is he, I've never heard of him?' Bill said

' Why would you, he's spent thousands of years keeping his whereabouts and person unknown, he never likes to be found, he is around my age give or take a few years' Godric said sitting back down as though he were weary,

' If he likes to remain anonymous, why is he making himself so publicly known?' Pam said raising a suspicious eyebrow,

' I don't think its him killing people' Madison said before anyone else could throw out a theory,

' What do you mean?' Eric said

' Demetri said it was Alexei that was volatile, he said he was deranged and uncontrollable, what if Appius cant control his progeny anymore?'

' It's a good theory' Russell said approvingly

' Yes, it is well known Alexei was a sickly child when he was human what if it has stayed with him all these years?' Godric said thoughtfully

' So we're going up against a child?' Pam said smirking

' Demetri said not to underestimate him just because he's a child and look at the evidence Pam, that child had decimated vampires, wolves, shifters and humans, he's no weakling' Madison said and Pam stopped smirking

' Then why hasn't Appius stopped him?' Eric said sternly and Pam flinched, Madison was aware that if Pam ever behaved like that and disobeyed Eric he would stop her. They sat in silence, all of them trying to come up with a good reason why Appius would risk exposure for his progeny,

' He loves him' Madison said quietly

' Well of course all makers love their progeny's' Russell said

' No think about it, Alexei Romanov was an incredibly ill child, close to death most of the time, what would sustain him and make him well in that age of under advanced medicine?'

' Vampire blood' Godric said in a hushed voice

' Exactly, I think Appius was very aware of Alexei for a long time, the blood bonded them'

' But how would he get blood to Alexei without raising suspicion?' Pam said enthralled

' Rasputin' Godric said again in a hushed tone

' The mad monk?' Bill said in surprise

' That mad monk claimed he could heal Alexei perhaps that's how he was doing it, Appius gives him the blood, he gives it to Alexei' Russell said, he was just as enthralled in this as Pam

' But why Alexei?' Eric asked

' Why Pam?' Godric asked him

' Why Eric?' Russell asked Godric

' Every vampire knows when they find the one they want to be their companion, he wanted Alexei'

' But it was so high profile, and didn't the press say they had found the bones of Alexei and one of his sisters, maybe it's not him?' Bill said

' No it's him, Demetri looked like he'd seen a ghost, Appius must have known Alexei was in danger through their bond, he would have gone to help Alexei, he turned Alexei that night but the sister still died'

' He probably used her body as a marker for where to put some bones' Russell said in disgust,

' Not some bones Alexei's bones, think about it, it's been how many years in between the Romanovs dying and those bodies being found, plenty of time to take a bone out at a time and swap them into the grave to make sure people think Alexei is dead and gone'

' My god this girl is good' Russell said beaming at her

' He's done all that for Alexei, he wont kill him now he'll try and cling to him'

' So now we know who and what we're up against, what do we do?' Russell said his fangs gleaming as he smiled.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The Great Revelation Part 2

None of them were sure what to do, they couldn't attack just like that, Appius was old and strong and by the sounds of it Alexei wasn't afraid of a fight either. Now she had to worry about Whitney turning up and the dangerous duo, things were never simple. She stood at the bar in Merlotte's absentmindedly doing her prep for the day ahead, she and Sookie were the only waitresses working tonight, all the others had called in sick. She almost dropped the tray of clean glasses she was carrying when Sam tapped her on the shoulder,

' Jesus Sam don't do that to me!' she snapped, Sam recoiled and eyed her with a concerned look,

' Maddie are you alright?'

' I'm fine why?'

' You seem preoccupied, you need to talk?'

' Sam I don't want to burden you with any of this'

' Maddie you're my friend, we've been through a lot together what could you possibly not tell me?' she nodded and put the tray on the bar, Sam started walking to his office so she followed him. She sat down and told Sam all about Appius and Alexei and their theories; Sam sat quietly and waited for her to finish,

' Jesus a Russian royal is a vampire, now that's just weird'

' Tell me about it and on top of that I have to worry about Whitney coming to reclaim Dominic' she sighed and ran her hand through her hair

' Well I'm glad you told me about it' he said smiling

' Yeah feels kind of good to talk about it'

' Well that is what I'm here for' he said smirking, ' actually I wanted to tell you something as well'

' Oh god no more problems please'

' No it's not a problem it's just something that will happen'

' What?'

' Alcide came to see me, he's been having a lot of meetings with a lot of pack leaders, not just wolves, shifters as well, and well since things have gone well for the vampires since their reveal, we figured it's time the world knew about us, what do you think?'

' Wow…that's big'

' Yeah tell me about it, but it will be kind of nice to not have to hide anymore and Rodrigo has said if it goes well it may go global like the vampires have'

' Well I'm behind you all the way Sam, you know you have my support'

' Thanks Maddie, I told Sook earlier and she said the same'

' So when is the great revelation?'

' Tomorrow night, some of the elder pack leaders are going on the news and Alcide, some of his pack and Rigel are coming here to change with me'

' Wow you're gonna do it in the bar?'

' Yeah I figured that way the whole town will know and I'll have some friends around me'

' Well I'll be here, I don't doubt Pam and Eric will want to see it as well, sorry but they will come'

' I know I called Eric and told him, I figured as the sheriff of the area he had a right to know'

' Really, what did he say?'

' He said it was about time we joined in and he wouldn't miss it for the world'

' Sounds about right' she said laughing, she stood up as Sookie called her name from the bar and walked to the door,

' Maddie…I really appreciate this'

' Sam you accepted what I was without any judgement, you'll never know how much that meant to me' she said giving him a smile as she left.

The next night Merlotte's was packed, the whole town was there due to rumours that something big was going to be on the news that night. Madison was surprised when Calvin showed up with a few of the guys from Hotshot,

' Hey Calvin, you joining in?' she muttered to him quietly as she passed

' No we're gonna see how it goes for a while, we got the whole town to think about'

' Good plan, can I get you anything?'

' Couple of beers would be great thanks darlin' they went and sat in a booth and she fetched their drinks. Twenty minutes later Pam and Eric arrived, the bar silenced as they walked in but the noise level soon rose again, Jessica and Bill walked in next, Hoyt immediately joined Jessica and Madison watched as Sam's brother Tommy threw him a dirty look. Next Rigel and Dominic walked in, they received a warmer reception, she wasn't so sure that Rigel would get that again after tonight, they were soon joined my Alcide and a few members of his pack including Harleen who threw Madison a dazzling smile. They were all here now, Madison knew it wouldn't be long and she could pretty much guess who would accept it and who would have a problem with it, though Sam looked more at ease than she'd seen him in a long time.

The entire bar silenced when Sam turned the volume up on the TV, she stood at the bar with Sookie and they grinned at each other,

" _So what exactly are you here to tell us Mr Lawson?"_ the pretty blonde reporter said smiling brightly at the slightly haggard older man sitting next to her with his slightly younger male accomplice,

" _We have been observing the reaction to the vampires revelation and since they have been so widely accepted we feel it is time to reveal what we are"_ the reporter's smile dimmed slightly,

" _Oh ok and what exactly are you Mr Lawson?" _she eyed Mr Lawson and his friend warily as they both stood up,

_" I, Cheryl, am a werewolf, my friend Mark is a shifter"_

"_What?" _her smile had vanished and she was gaping at both of them with a thoroughly puzzled look on her face,

" I transform into a wolf my friend Mark can transform into any animal he chooses, we would like to demonstrate for you, I assure you Cheryl that you and your crew are completely safe" she nodded dumbly and the two men removed their shirts, as they did Alcide, his pack members, Rigel, Sam and Tommy all stood up and began to do the same.

The bar instantly began to buzz with energy and muttering, Sookie gripped Madison's hand, she was biting her lip so hard it was going white, Eric, Pam, Bill and Jessica were also now standing and spreading themselves out, Madison understood that Eric had instructed them to keep the shifters safe and she smiled at him across the bar. Pretty soon two dogs, four wolves and Rigel in his leathery dog-wolf form were standing in the bar, the two men on the TV had also changed into a wolf and a rather large mountain lion, the reporter had understandably gone white with shock.

Madison watched the reactions of the people around them, Jason and Hoyt were both applauding and soon a few others joined in, Maxine Fortenberry looked at them like they were filth, but Madison had expected nothing less of her. The vampires were smiling knowingly, Calvin and his friends were looking around and reviewing the reactions as well, Bud and Andy were both in shock, but it was Arlene's reaction that surprised everyone, Terry included,

' Holy shit! What is this, is everyone a freak now?'

' Calm down Arlene' Madison said more in a warning tone than anything because Pam was eyeing Arlene hungrily,

' Don't you fucking tell me to calm down you…you the one that fucked two of them, you knew what they were didn't you, what was it animals weren't good enough so you had to move on to a dead guy?' Madison saw red at that point, she had crossed the bar quicker than she should have and pinned Arlene to a table by her throat,

' Madison…calm down' Eric was next to her whispering calmly in her ear, his cold hands on her waist, she leant down so her face was close to Arlene's,

' If you cant accept they're not like you and you're going to take this attitude and insult the man who gave you a job and made sure you had money to feed your kids, then you fucking disgust me Arlene and I think you better leave right now because I don't think Bill can restrain Pam and Jessica much longer' she let go of Arlene and stood up. Half the bars whooped and cheered her on as she walked away from Arlene, terry was looking at Arlene in disgust and refused to leave with her, Sam and the others had gone into the office and changed back and were pulling on their shirts as they walked back out to a crowd of cheers from everyone in the bar,

' Thanks Maddie' Sam said smiling gratefully

' Thank Eric if he was a second slower I'd probably have killed Arlene'

' Not if we'd gotten there first' Pam said as she and Jessica joined them, both of them smirking.

**Please review guys, I always appreciate knowing what you think x**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Fumbling Hands

Since the revelation things had escalated, it appeared Arlene wasn't the only one with a problem. It had been two weeks since that night and Arlene hadn't set foot back in Merlotte's, though Terry had confided in Madison that she had finished with him. He was heartbroken and had reverted back to the quiet, nervous Terry who barely spoke, Sam was still furious about how she had reacted, he felt like he'd been betrayed.

It wasn't just Arlene though, three nights ago they had all gaped at the TV in shock as it was revealed that Mr Lawson, the man who had revealed himself on television, had been brutally killed, and he wasn't the only one. People who had revealed themselves had mostly met with horror, family members had turned on them, friends rejected them, in one case a man had killed his wife with a shotgun after she revealed she was part shifter to him.

Madison was glad most people in Bon Temps respected Sam enough not to turn on him, everyone had been quite accepting of the shifters and wolves in their midst. Though it had to be said the revelation was having a very bad effect on Alcide. Someone in Bon Temps had taken to killing wolves and shifters with one shot to the head, Bud had told her it was obviously a very good sniper because the impact showed the shots were taken from a distance.

Madison couldn't help feeling bad for Alcide; the sniper had killed six members of his pack, including Harleen, which had saddened Madison because she'd grown fond of Harleen and how she'd turned her life around. Alcide was falling apart, secretly Madison knew how he felt, since the meeting when they'd figured out who the vampires were that had started their own killing spree in the area, Eric had become very withdrawn. He had completely thrown himself into his work and trying to figure out how to stop the two that posed a great threat to him, Russell and Godric were just as absorbed in it as him.

Madison would sit up all night waiting for him to come home only to receive a call from Pam telling her Eric would be sleeping at the bar that day. When he was there he wasn't the same, she had practically thrown herself at him several times and he had rejected her every time, sometimes softly complaining it had been a long night, other time he just snapped and shouted at her. Madison was getting incredibly frustrated by his behaviour, she couldn't talk to Sookie because Sookie was all loved up in a little bubble with bill and even Jessica and Hoyt were in their own little world. She was glad when Alcide pulled up outside her house one morning,

' Hey Maddie, you busy?' he asked, he looked exhausted and pushed his hair out of his face tiredly,

' No, come on in you look like you could do with a coffee' he smiled weakly and followed her inside, they sat at the table and she put a cup in front of him,

' You ok?' she asked him, concern etched on her face

' No…we found another one last night' he said quietly

' Oh fuck, Alcide…I…who was it?'

' New member, he was a kid Maddie, he was only sixteen'

' I'm so sorry Alcide' she grabbed his hand across the table and squeezed it tightly

' No I'm sorry I shouldn't come round here and dump all this on you…I just…I don't know who else I could talk to'

' You know you can talk to me whenever you want Alcide'

' I doubt Eric would like that?' he said moodily

' Tough anyway he has his own problems right now' she knew she sounded childish and petty with the tone she used but she didn't care,

' Going through a rough patch?'

' I don't know he's just so engrossed with finding these vampires, it's all he cares about at the moment, what annoys me is even when I was preoccupied with finding Dominic I still made time for him why cant he do the same for me?'

' How long has it been like this?'

' I don't know in truth…. in truth I don't think it's been the same since that whole thing with Prudence, oh god I've never said that out loud…just forget I said anything!' she stood up and walked over to the sink with her cup, refusing to look at Alcide, she couldn't believe she'd said that, even though she had been thinking it for a while.

She jumped when she felt Alcide stand right behind her and wrap his arms around her waist, she could feel the stubble on his cheek as he nestled his face against her neck, she hated how good it felt and how much she wanted him at that moment,

' Alcide I…I cant' Alcide didn't move, he kissed her neck gently

' Why? You deserve to be happy Maddie…let me make you happy?' she couldn't help how she felt, Eric hadn't touched her for weeks, her body responded strongly to Alcide's hands as he ran them slowly up her body. Her breath quickened and she turned around in his arms, all the rejections from Eric and images of him with prudence flashed in her mind and she couldn't stop herself, she kissed Alcide passionately and pulled his shirt off.

Seconds later they were on the kitchen floor, they tore at each others clothes, their hands fumbling in their frenzy to strip each other naked, as he removed the last piece of her clothing Alcide roughly parted her legs and thrust into her, Madison moaned loudly in pleasure at the feel of him inside of her, Alcide pinned her arms above her head and sucked her nipples roughly, biting and nibbling them as he continued to thrust sharply in and out of her. Madison could feel the sensation gripping hold of her as she gasped in pleasure, the sex was fast and animalistic, she forced Alcide over and rocked quickly on top of him, she thrust faster and faster as her pleasure mounted, Alcide gripped her tightly and moaned loudly, his hands rubbed and squeezed her breasts and she held his hands there enjoying the attention he paid her. Alcide forced her over and wrapped his arm under her knee so he was hoisting one of her legs up, he thrust himself deeper inside of her and she gasped for breath as she felt herself coming, she moaned and gripped him tightly as she climaxed and Alcide held her body firmly to his as he came.

Madison sat on the floor, it was mid afternoon and warm but she felt cold as she sat naked on the wooden floor, Alcide was dressing behind her and she couldn't bring herself to look at him. As good as it had felt, the second it was over she had felt awful, how could she do that to Eric? Alcide knelt down next to her and kissed her shoulder, he ran his hand down her back and she shivered,

' I understand Maddie, I know that you're wishing we hadn't done that but don't ask me to think the same, I will never regret that' she nodded and Alcide left. She walked upstairs and climbed into the shower, the hot water poured over her and she couldn't stop herself from crying as the full force of her actions hit her. She stayed in there crying until the hot water began to run cold, she climbed out slowly and dressed, she was moving slower than normal, she was trying not to think about seeing Eric, she jumped as the phone rang

' Hello?' she said shakily

' Her sugar, are you alright?'

' Hi Pam, yeah just a bit cold'

' Oh well welcome to my world, Eric asked me to call you and tell you he'll be busy all night so he thought you might like to have a relaxing night to yourself'

' Ok, thanks Pam'

' You sure you're alright sugar?'

' I'm fine see you later' she hung up and the tears began to fall again as the guilt consumed her.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Frozen

Madison sat on her couch gazing blankly at the TV, what would she do? She was fairly certain she could count on Alcide not to say anything; perhaps she could just pretend it had never happened? She knew she couldn't though; she couldn't lie to Eric, she wondered if he had felt everything she'd felt through their blood bond. The thought terrified her, what would he do if he did know? Her stomach twisted in panic and she couldn't stand being in the house anymore, she walked out to the backyard and lit a cigarette, her hands shaking as she did.

She finished her cigarette and walked back inside, breathing deeply and rubbing her face,

' Maddie?' she jumped and almost screamed at the sound of Eric's voice

' Eric…what…what are you doing here Pam said you'd be busy all night?'

' I am, I'll be busy with you, I'm sorry I've ignored you lately, I've been so preoccupied I've neglected you and taken my anger out on you and I'm sorry, so tonight is all about us and nothing else' he said smiling, her stomach lurched and she felt frozen to the spot,

' Well don't look too excited will you?' he said laughing

' I…I'm sorry… I'

' Maddie don't speak for a minute I need to ask you something, you need to know how important you are to me'

' Eric…'

' Let me say this…Maddie will you marry me?' she hadn't expected that at all and she collapsed to the floor, covering her face as she cried, Eric knelt down in front of her,

' I didn't expect you to react like that, Maddie you have to know you come first, before anything else, I want us to be together for eternity' she cried harder into her hands, trying to keep her sobs silent was making her stomach muscles ache,

' Eric…I slept with someone else' she had blurted it out without thinking, Eric stared at her and his eyes instantly went cold,

' When…when Maddie!' he shouted angrily

' Today' she muttered

' With who?' his tone was quieter but the anger was obvious

' Does it matter, it meant nothing to me I thought you didn't want me anymore and I'm not making excuses Eric I know what I did was wrong…'

' I suppose we're even now then' he said quietly

' What?'

' I cheated on you, you cheated on me now we are even and we can move on'

' Eric we can't just move on'

' Why not?'

' Because we cant we betrayed each other, I still don't look at you the same way after prudence and admit it in a few months you'll look at me and all you'll think about is me cheating on you'

' We could move past it' he sounded angry and stubborn but she knew he didn't believe his own words

' No we cant Eric…it kills me to say this but maybe we shouldn't be together?' he looked up at her his cold eyes were wide

' You don't mean that, we were made for each other Madison there is no other for either of us'

' We're not working though are we, we haven't been working for a long time Eric'

' Are you expecting me to just walk away from us Maddie because it wont happen?'

' Eric we cheat on each other that is not a relationship, I cant do this anymore, I cant stand what I've done to you and a part of me cant stand you for what you did to me, and you'll feel like that soon, we cant go on this way'

' I will not let you go' his voice shook with intensity

' Oh so it doesn't bother you that a matter of hours ago I was naked in this kitchen with someone else, not thinking about you, just thinking about how good he made me feel, how much he wanted me, that doesn't bother you?' she shouted at him, she was pushing him deliberately and it worked, Eric shouted and threw a chair at the wall his fangs exposed,

' See that will eat away at you if we stay together' she murmured quietly as he stood still, staring venomously at her, he moved closer to her and put his hands on her shoulders,

' Tell me you don't love me and I'll go, but don't expect me to feel the same'

' I…I don't love you Eric, go' it was an obvious lie but Eric stuck by his word and with a last look at her he walked out of the house, minutes later Madison had hit the floor screaming, she felt like someone had torn her apart.

Three months passed, she spent the first two in Brazil with her dad, Michael and Rodrigo. Rodrigo had been an amazing help to her, he had understood and been there for her and it did her good to see Michael, he had grown quickly. Returning back to Bon Temps had been awful, she'd had to tell everyone that things with Eric were over, she was amazed how quick everyone was to blame the break up on him, she soon put the record straight by admitting it was her infidelity that added to the break up. Needless to say Sookie was shocked that she had cheated,

' I thought you two were happy?'

' It wasn't the same Sook, I just couldn't move past Eric and Prue and he got so engrossed in finding the vampires that we just drifted apart and things happened'

' Yes and what I want to know is with who Maddie?' Maddie rubbed her face

' This stays between the two of us?'

' Of course'

' It was Alcide'

' Really! I didn't expect that'

' I couldn't help it Sook I felt so neglected and unwanted by Eric and Alcide was there and he wanted me, it felt good to be wanted'

' So it didn't happen because you wanted to be with him?'

' No not at all, if I could take it back I would'

' So you told Eric?'

' Yes it was my response to his proposal'

' He proposed!'

' Yes and he still wanted to work things out after I told him'

' So what happened?'

' I finished it, he'd grow to resent me for what I've done, I still resent him for Prue Sook, we couldn't stay together like that'

' So what now?'

' Wander the earth alone for eternity?' she said sarcastically

' Don't say that Maddie you'll meet someone else'

' No Sook I wont, he was right we were made for each other, we were supposed to be together and we both ruined it'.

Eric sat in his office alone, the music of Fangtasia thumped around him, he had felt her the second she'd arrived back in Bon Temps, she haunted him.

**Review or I won't update **


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: I'm Just Tired

She hadn't seen or heard from Eric, Pam still came by her house or the bar, the first time she'd come to her house she'd brought a box of Madison's things. Madison felt like she was taking a bomb rather than a box of her things from Pam, it had been like taking a bullet; Pam had been surprisingly sympathetic;

' Sugar I was with Eric when he first made me, I was a bit naïve and I thought it would just be the two of us, of course it wasn't so I know how you feel'

' I shouldn't have done that to him though, how is he?' Pam couldn't help taking in Madison's slightly dishevelled appearance, sweats and tied up hair weren't her usual wardrobe,

' He's reverted back to sheriff Eric, barely speaks to anyone, mostly he's just intent on finding Appius and Alexei now'

' Is he with anyone else?' she tried to make it sound casual but Pam knew Madison better than that,

' No, he hasn't looked at anyone…yet'.

The "yet" stuck in Madison's mind, she was aware Eric would probably find someone else, even if it was just for sex but it still made her stomach twist uncomfortably.

A week after Pam's latest visit, with the "yet" still tattooed on her mind, Alcide came by. She knew after what happened he'd been avoiding her and he was still struggling to make eye contact with her,

' Hey Maddie'

' Hey Alcide, what can I do for you?'

' I…I just wanted to apologise, what happened that day…I know it shouldn't of happened and I'm sorry about you and Eric, I was just so cut up about losing another pack member…. it's not an excuse…I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry'

' It's ok, it took two of us, things between me and Eric just weren't right'

' Yeah but now you're miserable and I hate that I played a part in making you unhappy'

' It's ok Alcide I wasn't totally happy before, it hasn't been the same since the whole Prudence thing, I just found it hard to trust him again after that'

' That's understandable, every time I got back with Debbie I used to wonder what the hell I was doing being in a relationship with someone I didn't even trust'

' Right pair we are huh?' she said smiling, Alcide smiled back and suddenly all the tension and guilt melted away and she remembered what a good friend he was;

' Friends?' she said holding her hand out

' Forever' he said smiling and shaking her hand.

Madison sat in Dr Ludwig's waiting room, she'd been so run down and her dad had finally snapped and said if she didn't go to a doctor soon he'd force her himself. She'd relented but only on the agreement she could go to Dr Ludwig, she knew what was wrong with her, she hadn't fed for over three months and despite the fact that she could survive without feeding, it made her weak and tired. Dr Ludwig ambled out of her office and waved Madison in,

' So what appears to be the problem Madison?'

' I'm just tired, I haven't fed for a while and it's making me a bit run down'

' I heard you and Mr Northman have separated could this be adding to your current state?'

' Yes I have been a bit low since the break up' Dr Ludwig gave her a strange look

' How long have the two of you been apart now?'

' About three months, why?'

' Just curious, may I ask what caused the break up?'

' I slept with someone else'

' I see' Madison eyed her curiously as Dr Ludwig turned around and began writing something down.

' So how'd it go?' her dad said anxiously, he'd insisted on waiting in the car outside,

' I'm fine she said I'm just a bit run down, stress and all'

' But you're ok?'

' I'm fine dad' she said defensively

' Maddie…I know it would be easier to talk to your mother about these things but you know you can talk to me anytime'

' I know dad I'm sorry…I'm just tired' he nodded but she could tell he didn't believe her.

He dropped her off and pulled away, she sat on her couch and pulled the small envelope out of her bag, she stared numbly at its contents. That night she wandered the dark alleyways of Shreveport, she needed to feed it had come to the point where she could no longer ignore her thirst. She came across a man hunched in the corner, he was rifling through a woman's purse that he'd obviously just stolen of a poor helpless woman. She moved slowly and swiftly and pounced, she drank quickly and dropped his limp body back onto the damp concrete; she wiped her mouth and turned around to leave but stopped dead at the sight before her.

Eric stood stone still in front of her, his hands in his pockets and a stony look on her face,

' Good evening Madison'

' Hi Eric'

' Out to feed?'

' Yeah…it's been a while…Eric why are we talking like two people who barely know each other?'

' I thought that's what you wanted?'

' You know it isn't…how are you?'

' Fine, you seem tired, are you ill?' it warmed her a little to hear the faint tone of concern in his voice

' Just a little run down' her voice shook as he began walking closer to her

' That's not all though is it?' she had a strong feeling he didn't require an answer and she was right, he moved closer so they were only a few inches apart and placed his hand on her lower abdomen,

' Congratulations' he said coldly as his hand gently squeezed the flesh in his palm, she wanted to talk but she couldn't find any words, she looked up at Eric and couldn't stop her eyes filling with tears,

' I wish you well and hope you will be very happy' Eric said removing his hand and walking away before she could take a breath.

Madison sat on her couch and looked at the small picture of the tiny baby growing inside of her. She was completely torn between happiness and sadness, she was happy that she was being given a chance at a baby after years of doctors telling her it would be impossible. But at the same time the whole situation saddened her, she wished this was happening under different circumstances, she placed her hand on her stomach and her heightened senses allowed her to feel the small thump of the baby's heartbeat inside of her.

**Review or no update x**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Frantic

Madison stared at the picture, now Eric knew she had to tell Alcide, her stomach fluttered with nerves at the very thought of it. She jumped at a sharp knock on the door, she really was nervous; she stood up silently scolding herself for acting so childishly and walked across the lounge to open the door.

Eric paced his office furiously, he cursed the werewolf's existence as he pictured Alcide and Madison playing happy families and punched the wall in fury. Pam flung the office door open and stared at him,

' Eric?'

' Out' she knew that tone, it was his quiet but burning with rage warning tone, she pulled the door shut and Eric removed his fist from the hole in the wall. He began pacing again, his anger increased with every step he took.

Madison opened her eyes slowly, she felt so weak, she tried to think but the thumping ache in her head was very distracting. The last thing she remembered was opening the door and…then it hit her, that face that she had thought she would never have to see again.

Godric paced the floor in Madison's lounge, he was growing impatient, it was very unlike Eric to keep him waiting when he called for him. He turned and looked at the kitchen again, the coppery smell drifted too him seductively, though after all these years it had lost a lot of it's sway over him. He turned as Eric walked slowly through the broken front door,

' Godric, you called for me?'

' You took a long time to come my child, is your pain still so severe that you cannot even face the home she lives in?'

' I prefer to keep my distance' Godric nodded understandingly as Eric's eye's darted around and he subtly smelt the air,

' Godric what has happened?' he said, his maker sensed the worry in his voice,

' I don't know Eric, something told me I had to come here and I found…well…come and see' Godric walked towards the kitchen slowly, almost reluctantly, and Eric followed. Eric's eyes wandered over the room, blood on the floor, the table and splashed around the sink, small splashes on the walls, it's metallic smell called to him and he longed for it,

' It's Madison's' he said quietly

' Can you sense her?' Godric asked; Eric shook his head.

Madison could feel the cold metal against her wrists, the chains pinched and cut into her skin whenever she moved but she didn't care, she was constantly listening for the small thumping sound of her child's heart beating. She had no idea where she was but she knew who was responsible, she looked at the bruises on her arms, they were turning black and she remembered what had happened. She remembered the sting of a needle piercing her skin and blood dribbling through a tube into what she thought was an IV bag.

Eric called for Pam and sent her to get Bill and Russell, Sookie and Sam came to the house and Sam changed into his dog form and tried to locate a scent other than Madison's,

' Maybe we should call Alcide, the pack could search the area for clues?' Sookie said as her eye's welled up at the sight of her friends' blood,

' No!' Eric said sharply, Sookie looked at him and nodded, she wasn't going to argue with him over this, she understood how badly he was hurting even if Eric wouldn't admit it.

Madison could feel herself weakening; the blood loss had made her feel lifeless and the weaker she got the more she couldn't concentrate on the slowing thump inside of her.

Bill and Russell arrived, both looking concerned as their eyes met with the sight in the kitchen, Eric was surprised to see Evie follow them in closely followed by Li. Evie stared open mouthed at the sight before her and tears escaped her eyes, Li was all business,

' We split up we'll find her quicker'

' You share my concern about this then?' Godric said

' Indeed, with this much blood loss she will be very weak and powerless'

' She is defenceless, she could be killed!' Eric said angrily

' Perhaps, even I do not understand her' Li said solemnly

' Then why are we sitting here wasting time, I'm going with Sam' Eric said briskly, he crossed the room and Sam ran after him.

Madison opened her eyes slowly, her breathing was shallow and she shivered as a chill ran up her spine, she heard a door creak open and slow footsteps crossed the room towards her,

' Did you really think you'd gotten away with it Madison?' Madison's mouth was so dry it stuck together and she had no voice to reply,

' Well?' the voice said sharply and she was kicked in the ribs, she rolled over and looked up at the smug, smiling face before she was kicked again and again.

Eric paused mid step at the twinge of pain he felt, Sam the dog stopped and looked up at him questioningly,

' She's in pain' he said quietly, Sam looked at him and moaned gently as though he were the one in pain,

' Whoever has her is hurting her, and if I cant even sense her that means I'm only feeling a small part of it, she's in agony Sam' Sam looked at him with sad eyes and began to sniff the ground franticly.

_**Sorry it's a bit short guys, happy Xmas everyone, please review it would be a great Xmas present lol x**_


	12. Chapter 12

Sorry for the delay guys, hope you enjoy, review please x

Chapter 12: Comfort

Madison could feel the cold wet ground underneath her, the dew on the grass was seeping into her torn and bloodied clothes, she winced as she turned over onto her back and stared at the road willing someone to drive past and see her. Her memory was hazy but she had a very vivid recollection of being thrown out of a moving vehicle onto the ground where she now lay. She had never felt so weak and every fibre of her was willing herself to feel a slight movement in her stomach, anything at all would do, a mild fluttering, a kick anything.

Eric and Sam had broken into a run, Sam had been amazing he'd picked up a scent that had led them to an abandoned house, there was no one there now but Eric could smell Madison now they were there. They continued to move as Sam followed the scent down a long stretch of road, he stopped abruptly and Eric smelled the air, before Sam could move Eric was running through the overgrown bushes at the side of the road.

Madison could feel the cool hand against her cheek, she felt someone raise her head and support her body, she felt instantly comforted and knew who it was without opening her eyes,

' Eric?' she murmured, the cool hand stroked her face again,

' I'm here' he whispered ' go get the others' she heard him murmur, the sharp bark of a dog made her open her eyes and she saw a streak of white and brown fur run past them,

' Eric…the baby…I cant feel…the baby…' Eric winced at the panic in her voice and raised her shirt to feel her stomach,

' It's alright Maddie, the baby's alive…Maddie you need my blood, you and the baby are weak'

' I cant I don't know…I don't know what it will do to the baby' she murmured breathlessly

' Maddie with you as a mother and Alcide as a father I think we can safely say this baby will be supernatural and my bloods already in you, I thin we're safe, now stop arguing and do as you're told for once' she heard the slight crunch as Eric bit into his wrist and felt the warmth of his blood trickle down her throat.

Maddie opened her eyes and found herself in the clinical white room of Dr Ludwig's hospital, Eric sat beside her and stroked her hair comfortingly, she had never seen Eric look so worried,

' What's wrong?' she asked him, panic flooded her entire body

' Nothing, everything's fine, you're on the mend, babies doing well' she sighed heavily with relief and gripped his arm tightly,

' Thank you' she said quietly as the tears unwillingly flowed down her cheeks, Eric smiled faintly and kissed her forehead,

' I'll let you sleep' he said as he started to stand up

' Eric…please stay…I feel safer with you here' he nodded and sat back down.

After a week Madison and the baby were back to full strength and Dr Ludwig finally allowed her to go home. Eric had been there with her every night; her father and Sookie had stayed during the day along with visitors like Sam, Evie and Tara. It took her a while before she felt safe at home, her father stayed all day and Godric was there all night. She was six months pregnant when Alcide came round, she had told him about the baby when she'd gotten home and he hadn't reacted well. They had argued and she hadn't really expected anything less, she knew Alcide had been seeing a member of the pack and it had gotten serious quickly. He looked guilty as he sat next to her, his eyes shifted uncomfortably to her stomach every now and then,

' Madison I'm sorry about how I reacted, it was just…a huge shock and…'

' I know it was to me as well, look I know you're settling down and it's frowned upon to mate out of the pack so…if you're not ready for this I understand' he looked at her with guilt etched all over his face,

' It's just…I've been asked to got to Jackson and I asked Marie to marry me, I think if all this came out I'd lose everything and…I'm…I'm just not'

' Not ready to be a dad, a long distance dad at that?' he nodded shamefully

' I'm sorry Maddie'

' It's ok Alcide, I'm not going to sit here and say if you walk away now don't think of coming back, I wouldn't do that to you, but I do understand, we're not a couple Alcide so you're not obligated to anything and I know how much the pack and Marie mean to you'

' How can you be so understanding when I'm being such an asshole?'

' Alcide after what's happened lately I'm just going with things, I almost lost another baby and I think that would have crushed me, but I didn't and now I have a baby to think of, nothing else matters' he smiled

' You're gonna be an amazing mom Madison' she smiled back at him

' I hope so'

Review or no update X


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: keep breathing

Madison arched her back and sighed, she was 8 months pregnant now and Sam eyed her with concern,

' Maddie I know you're bored at home but you need to relax more'

' Sam I'm doing your paperwork, but if you'd rather do it I'll go home?'

' As much as I hate paperwork I'm worried about you, you're spreading yourself to thin, helping here, helping Sookie, playing agony aunt to everyone here and their troubles, you need to rest'

' Sam I'm pregnant not dying'

' I know…but you've been through so much already'

' And that's why I need normality' Sam sighed and smiled at her,

' What's that look for?' she asked him

' You look so happy, it's nice to see you happy' she smiled at Sam and he left her alone in the office.

She drove home that night and for once she didn't feel uneasy or worried. For the last few months Bon Temps had been relatively quiet, it was strange but nice; no one had been murdered and the hope was that Appius and Alexei had moved on. She crashed out on the couch and reclined back, she rested her hand on her stomach and winced as the baby kicked her sharply in the side. She felt so uncomfortable, she'd been aching all day and whenever the baby moved she felt a sharp pain, the braxton

hicks she'd been having for the last two days were really irritating her. She wiggled herself about on the couch trying to get comfortable, she heard the back door click open and struggled to sit up.

Eric walked into the lounge and stood in the doorway, she gaped at him, she hadn't seen him for months,

' Hi' she said as she attempted to pull herself up, he crossed the room and helped her,

' Thanks my back's killing me' she said

' You've been in pain for a few days now, I was…concerned' Eric said

' I'm ok, how have you been?'

' Good, no more murders so it's been pretty quiet'

' You think they've moved on?'

' Honestly…. no, I think they're lying low for a while, they'll be back'

' Fuck!' she exclaimed clutching her stomach

' What?' Eric asked

' Baby kicked me' she tried to stand and Eric helped her again. They walked into the kitchen, well Eric walked, she waddled, she walked to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of tru blood,

' I'm ok thank you' Eric said, Madison smiled

' It's not for you' she put it in the microwave and waited

' I thought you hated that stuff?' he said

' I do but the baby wants blood and I'm hardly in the condition to go out and drink someone am I?'

' I could get you someone?'

' No it's fine, the baby seems to settle for this stuff' the microwave pinged and she poured the tru blood into a cup and sipped it, Eric smiled as she winced at the taste,

' So what brings you here?' she asked

' Just wanted to see how you are?'

' Really?'

' Yes, Maddie just because we're no longer together doesn't mean I stopped caring about you' she looked down and sipped the cooling red liquid again,

' So where have you been for the last few months Eric?' she couldn't help feeling slightly angry,

' It's hard for me to see you like this, I hate it in fact, knowing that the baby growing inside of you is his, I can't stand it!' he slammed his fist on the table and cracked the thick wood,

' What do you want me to do Eric, go back in time because I cant!'

' I want you to say he meant nothing!' Eric stood up the chair he'd been sitting in was flung against the wall and broke into pieces, Madison was about to retaliate when a sharp pain ripped through her abdomen. The cup that had been in her hand smashed on the tiled floor spewing the faux blood everywhere, she cried out and clutched her stomach, doubling over in pain,

' Oh fuck!' she moaned

' Is it the baby?' Eric asked suddenly at her side, she nodded and moaned again, she heard him on the phone a few seconds later and collapsed to her knees.

An hour passed, Madison was sweating and almost screaming, she was soaked from where her waters had broken and pain was tearing through her,

' Dr Ludwig will be here soon' Eric said rubbing her back

' You said that an hour ago! Eric I'm scared the baby's a month early what if something's wrong?'

' Nothing's wrong Maddie, I promise everything will be fine' she felt his cool lips on her warm forehead and gripped his arm tightly. Eric had called everyone, no one answered their phones and when Pam arrived he sent her straight back out to find Dr Ludwig. Madison panted and moaned on the floor and her pain tore through him she was struggling; he knew it,

' Maddie do you need to push?' she bit her lip and nodded

' Ok, keep breathing' Eric pulled her underwear down and rubbed her outer thigh comfortingly,

' Maddie you need to push' she screamed at the burning sensation she felt as she pushed,

' Oh god this is so embarrassing' she panted

' Maddie I've spent plenty of time down there, I know what it looks like' Eric said smiling; Madison laughed and winced as she began pushing again.

Madison gave a last loud groan of pain and there was silence, she opened her eyes in panic before a small, shrill cry broke the silence, relief like she'd never felt before flooded her as Eric placed the small baby on her chest,

' Little girl' he said smiling and stroking her damp hair out of her eyes.

Madison sat on the couch with her daughter cradled in her arms; she couldn't stop smiling. Dr Ludwig had been and examined them both, and one bath and one feed later they were both curled up on the couch. Pam had been sent out by Eric to tell everyone the good news and he himself went to find Godric and her father to tell them. She was alone with Dr Ludwig who was giving the baby one final check,

' Hmm?' she mused

' What! Is something wrong?'

' No, no but I think I may have gotten the dates wrong'

' Meaning?'

' Well you carried for just over nine months so the wolf cant be the father' Madison stared at her in shock,

' Are you sure?'

' Oh yes, it's easier to tell once the baby's born, definitely not an early baby, well I'll leave you and your daughter in peace, congratulations…. sorry about the mix up'

Madison stared after her as she left then looked down at the baby wiggling in her arms, her daughter opened her eyes and for a moment Madison couldn't breathe.

**review please guys or i'll think you don't care x**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Names

Madison rubbed her eyes as she rocked her newborn daughter to sleep, her daughter was a day old now and she still hadn't given her a name. It was 4am and all she wanted to do was sleep, her body ached and she hadn't slept for hours. When the baby finally settled she picked up the baby monitor and walked downstairs. She almost dropped the monitor as she reached the kitchen, Eric was sitting at the table, he smiled and pushed a cup across the table for her, she winced as she sat down;

' How are you?'

' Tired' she said mid yawn, she sipped the coffee and turned the monitor up to make sure she could hear,

' I'm sorry for shouting at you yesterday…I shouldn't have, I didn't even consider what kind of stress that could put you under and if my behaviour contributed to you going into labour early…I'm sorry' Madison gaped at him

' Oh god Eric no, it had nothing to do with that, it wasn't you or stress…I' she stopped talking as the baby began to wail upstairs, she got up slowly and went to get the baby.

She came back down to see Eric pacing around the kitchen, he looked at her as she walked in and his eyes drifted to the tiny baby in her arms,

' Are you alright?' she asked him

' It's just so strange…you're a mother' he said sitting back at the table, she sat opposite him and rocked her daughter in her arms,

' Tell me about it, I don't know how good I am though I can't even name her' she said rubbing her face again,

' You're tired give yourself time, has Alcide seen her yet?'

' No, Eric I really need to tell you something'

' What is it?'

' Well…. erm…what do you think would be a nice name for her?'

' I can't name your daughter Madison'

' I'm not asking you to name her I'm just asking for ideas?'

' What about Isabelle?'

' No…no I knew an Isabelle at school…hated her'

' Ok what about Bethany?'

' No she doesn't look like a Bethany'

' Well what does she look like?'

' You'

' What?'

' Well look at her blonde, blue eyed she's kind of…'

' Norse looking?'

' Yeah'

' How about Heidi?'

' Not funny'

' Ok a Norse name…Ingrid?'

' Eww'

' Liv?'

' Not bad I kind of like that'

' How about Freya?'

' Freya…I like that…Freya'

' So does she have a name now?'

' Yes…Freya' Eric smiled a ran his finger over Freya's tiny hand,

' Do you want to hold her?' she asked him tentatively, he nodded without looking at her and carefully took Freya from her arms. Madison watched Eric and Freya together; she was so calm in his arms. She had to tell him, she knew she had to she just wasn't sure how?

' This should have been us' she looked up as Eric muttered

' What?'

' It should have been you and me that had a child together, she should have been mine'

' She is' Eric, who had been gently rocking Freya paused, he didn't look at Madison and for a moment she felt scared, was he angry?

' What did you say?'

' Freya…is your daughter, I only found out yesterday after she was born, Dr Ludwig made a mistake'

' It's not possible'

' Apparently it is' Eric stared at Freya and stroked her cheek gently.

review please peeps x


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Dead Silence

Eric hadn't said another word; he stood up handed Freya back to her and walked out of the house in dead silence.

It had been a month and she hadn't seen him, she was terrified, what if he was angry? What if he thought she'd been lying to him? He hadn't exactly seemed ecstatic at the news; his exact words were "it's not possible". Those words kept swirling in and out of her mind; they were driving her crazy.

She had broken the news to the others including Alcide who took the news well, well he wasn't exactly planning to be involved anyway.

She sat in the garden at Sookie's house as Sam played with Freya, Sookie stepped out with a tray of iced tea just as Jason pulled up,

' Oh gosh I can't believe how gorgeous she is' Sookie said taking Freya from Sam

' She's a cutie' Jason said leaning over and pulling faces at Freya, Madison snorted with laughter,

' Jason stop scaring her' Sam said laughing

' Awww she ain't scared of her uncle Jason are you pudding?' while Jason amused Freya Sam leaned in to talk to Madison,

' You heard from him?' she shook her head and looked down

' I'm sure he's just in shock' Sookie said soothingly

' Yeah…I would be, any guy would, and I bet it shocked you?' Sam said rubbing her back

' Understatement of the year' she said quietly.

Another week passed and there was still no news from Eric; she was getting desperate now. It was like all her power and strength was gone and she felt helpless, she also felt exhausted, it wasn't easy being a single parent. Sure she had help from her dad and her friends but she needed full time support. She jumped to her feet immediately awake at the sound of a crunching noise out the back. She moved quietly through the kitchen and looked out of the window, he looked otherworldly out in the moonlight. She opened the door and he turned to look at her, he didn't say a word as she walked down the porch steps to him,

' It's never happened before' he said quietly

' What hasn't?' she was too tired for cryptic messages

' Freya, two vampires have never conceived a child before'

' Well technically I'm not a vampire…I'm a…. god knows what I am'

' But my point is it's impossible for vampires to conceive, that part of us dies when we are reborn…and yet I know she's mine, I knew it from the moment I put my hand on your stomach that night in the alleyway'

' Wish you'd told me'

' I refused to believe it, I told myself it was just my desire to think I could that with you'

' So you believe me then, you haven't stayed away because you thought I was a lying bitch looking for a father for my baby?' he smiled

' You could never be that, I didn't stay away, I've been travelling'

' Travelling where?'

' Around the world, seeking out some of the oldest vampires, reading books that others have never heard of…researching I suppose you'd call it'

' To see if this has happened before?'

' Yes…because in all truth it scares me Madison, she is the first as far as I could find and my fear is when news spreads of what she is, she will be sought out like a treasure for collectors' Madison's stomach lurched, she'd never even thought of that.

They sat on the carpet beside Freya's crib and watched their daughter sleep, his hand gripped hers but she refused to take her eyes off of her baby. Madison paced the floor; it was bad enough that the threat of Alexei and Appius was still there now she had to worry about other creatures coming out of the woodwork. Eric watched her pace and for the first time in centuries he felt helpless.

They talked all night and at sunrise he retreated to Godric's room in the basement. Freya spent most of the day screaming and refusing her milk; Madison was at her whit's end when she phoned Dr Ludwig. Dr Ludwig came quickly; Madison suspected she was curious to see the vampire child,

' So what's the problem?' Dr Ludwig said checking Freya over,

' She wont eat, she's all floppy but she doesn't have a temperature, I just don't know what's wrong with her' Madison heard the little crack of desperation in her voice and sank into a chair,

' Calm down, what are you feeding her?'

' Milk, I tried water as well because I was worried about her getting dehydrated but she refused that as well'

' Breast or bottle milk?'

' Breast, but I tried bottle as well and she refused that'

' How old is she now just over 2 months right?'

' Yes why?'

' How long can you go before you need to feed?'

' What?'

' I know you're tired Maddie but work it out, did you ever consider that with two parents who feed on blood she might need blood too? I think she takes after you a small amount of blood every few months and she'll be fine' Madison stared at her and rubbed her face,

' Why didn't I think of that?'

' Because you're a new mother and you're exhausted, it shouldn't take much I'd say she's only a baby, let her feed off yours or Eric's blood when she needs it, it'll help with the bonding' she smiled and stared at Freya,

' And if I may, you should feed as well, with the things that are in the area at the moment you'll need your full strength'

' What things?'

' Well no doubt you know about those two vampires that are wreaking havoc, but that's not all now I'm contending with rabid wolves and random demon attacks, my hospital is overrun…. just be careful' she nodded but worry filled her insides.

Her father, Sookie and Sam come over in the afternoon and she asked them to watch Freya while she went out. It didn't take her long to find someone, a young woman was scrabbling through an alleyway and she kept stumbling on her plastic, red heels. She was obviously a drug addict, Madison was torn whether to kill her or not; in the end she decided not to but she fed long enough to feel stronger than she had in a long time. That was the great thing about being…whatever she was, the feed not only strengthened her but also increased her body's recovery from having Freya, she felt like her old self again, it didn't hurt that she looked it too.

She arrived back at the house two hours later accompanied by Godric, Li, Russell, raze and Dominic, she hadn't used her powers in a long time and she rarely included others in them but as her daughter might be at risk she decided to chance it.

Along with those she brought Eric had called Bill, Pam, Jason and even Evie was sitting next to her dad cooing over Freya. She looked at Eric and he nodded, they had had a long discussion last night about how to go about this and knew they would need help.

Review please peeps, makes me write quicker x


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: For Her

Eric took Freya from Evie and bit his finger, he placed it in her mouth and she latched on to him like a leech and her feet jiggled excitedly as she fed; Eric looked down at his tiny daughter and smiled. He removed his healed finger and cradled her so her head rested on his shoulder; she flopped against him with a tiny smile from her blood high. Madison couldn't help smiling as his large hand rubbed her tiny back and she sighed against him, she didn't need the blood to bond with her father, Madison could already feel the strong bond of love between them.

Everyone was talking amongst themselves when he phone rang; she picked it up already guessing who it was,

' How was the flight?' she said smiling

' I never could get used to turbulence, is everyone there?'

' Pretty much but I think we can easily expect more, how long are you going to be?'

' We're on our way, maybe an hour ?'

' Ok see you soon' she hung up and rubbed her face, the room hadn't gotten any quieter but she knew every vampire in that room had been listening.

She was glad someone chose to knock on the door at that moment, she could already sense the wolves outside, they were restless and most weren't happy about joining with the vampires but in times like this they had no choice. Alcide tried to smile as she opened the door and welcomed him but he looked tired and she suspected it had taken his entire prowess as pack leader to get his fellow wolves to agree to this.

They sat close to Sam and Jason, several wolves threw the vampires in the room filthy looks, others stared at Freya with curious expressions, Alcide stayed with Madison;

' They're not happy'

' I can tell' she said closing the door

' Maddie I know it's a big ask but how many of them are planning to kill me when this is done if we don't die first?'

' Not as many as you think' she said trying to comfort him

' How's Freya?'

' She's great, she drinks blood'

' Like parents, like daughter…Maddie I know I've said it before but I am really sorry about how I handled the whole thing and…'

' It's fine Alcide, we're good' he smiled and crossed the ever crowding room to join his pack, he greeted Sam and Jason warmly and even inclined his head respectfully to Eric who, surprising Madison entirely, returned the gesture.

She crossed the room and took Freya from Eric, she didn't whimper or moan, instead she snuggled against her mother's warm neck and sighed. Madison ran her hand down her tiny daughters back and stroked the soft, pale blonde hair that adorned her child's head.

She felt Eric place his hand on the small of her back and felt a mixture of comfort and worry.

Rodrigo arrived 45 minutes later followed by some of the key members of his pack, he also had Demetri with him, she gaped and then smiled,

' What are you doing here I thought you were going back to Russia?'

' I was going to but I find Brazil agrees with me more so I stayed' he smiled; he certainly looked happier than he had last time she'd seen him,

' Is she dead yet?' he asked her tentatively, she knew he meant Whitney,

' Haven't seen or heard from her for months, if it weren't for our other problem it'd be almost peaceful round here' his smile faltered slightly and he sauntered over to sit by Godric,

' She's beautiful' Rodrigo said smiling and rubbing his finger over Freya's tiny hand,

' Thank you how's Michael?'

' See for yourself' he smiled as Lucien walked in guiding a sleepy Michael, he looked older and so much like Miles it scared her.

People were growing restless and Madison had to admit she felt uneasy, they all sat down apart from Godric, Eric and Russell; who remained standing. Madison wasn't sure what the plan was but she hoped everyone agreed that something had to be done.

It was 3am before the last person had left her house; Madison laid Freya down in her Moses basket and rubbed her face. She felt the weight of the bed shift as Eric sat behind her, his fingers trailed through her hair and down her neck. Madison closed her eyes at the familiarity of his touch and felt him move closer, he ran his hands down her back and laid his head against the back of her neck,

' It feels like forever since we were like this' he said wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing the crook of her neck gently. Madison didn't move, she let him trail kisses up and down her neck and when he eased her back, she lay down on the bed.

Eric leant over her and his lips met hers, she couldn't help giving in to him and returning the kiss. Eric slowly pushed her shirt up and she shivered as his cool fingers grazed her skin. Eric deepened the kiss and Madison gripped him tightly, he paused for a moment to break the kiss and pull her shirt over her head. He smiled and kissed her again; he trailed kisses down her stomach and she ran her fingers through his hair. Eric rolled her over and unhooked her bra, he kissed every inch of her back and she felt the sharp point of his fangs on her skin.

Madison gripped the iron bars of the bedstead and stared at Freya's Moses basket as Eric continued to kiss her back, she bit her lip and before she realised it she was moving,

' What is it?' Eric said as she stood up and pushed her hair off her face

' We shouldn't do this in front of Freya' she said breathlessly

' Maddie she's not even 2 months old, I don't think she knows what we're doing?'

' I cant…I'm sorry I want this I really do…'

' I do too' he said pulling her towards him again

' No Eric I cant' he paused and looked at her thoughtfully before reaching behind her back and re-doing the clasp of her bra. Madison stared at him in surprise and he looked up and smiled,

' I can be a gentleman you know?' he said stroking her cheek, she smiled and held his cool hand to her face,

' I'm sorry…I don't know what's wrong with me' she said looking at the floor

' Maddie it doesn't matter, you've been through a lot and I haven't been there for you so if you need time…I can wait' Madison looked up and stared at him,

' Really, you can wait?'

' Yes'

' Even if it takes me a year?' Eric nodded

' What about ten years?'

' Yes I said I'd wait…as long as it takes'

' Hundred years?'

' Ok…lets not rush into this decision' he said and Madison laughed quietly; he smiled and pulled her close. He wrapped his arms around her and they both stared at their tiny daughter, she looked so peaceful and calm,

' For her' Eric murmured in her ear, she nodded

' For her' she whispered back.

*REVIEW PLEASE PEEPS OR I'LL NEVER UPDATE AGAIN…. JOKE! I PROBABLY WILL BUT IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU REVIEW ANYWAY*


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Questions

Madison sat in Sookie's kitchen and rubbed her face again as Sookie cradled Freya happily,

' So what happened with you and Eric last night?' Sookie said smirking

' What do you mean Sookie Stackhouse?'

' Oh come on I saw you two, all through that meeting you barely took your eyes off one another don't even try and tell me you two didn't…you know, after we all left?'

' We didn't'

' Be honest Maddie'

' I am…I couldn't…I wanted to and I just couldn't'

' What happened?'

' We started kissing and I just sort of froze…I'm not sure really I just couldn't do it Sook'

' Well let's think this through…was Freya in the room with you?'

' Yeah'

' Well maybe that's what put you off, having Freya so close?'

' No come on Sook she's two months old she wouldn't know what we were doing and Eric already asked if that was the problem'

' Ok…are you paranoid about your body, you know some women don't feel sexy after they have a baby?'

' Sook not to brag but I snapped right back you'd never know I had Freya'

' True and may I add unfair to all other women on the planet'

' I don't know what happened Sook'

' How was Eric, angry, upset?'

' No…understanding, he just kind of accepted that I couldn't and said he'd wait'

' Wow…really? Wow!'

' He can be a gentleman you know?' she said smiling

' Maybe you're just not ready to go back to that place with Eric yet?'

' Huh?'

' Well come on you two have been through a lot together and now you have a baby, it's not just you two that are affected anymore, now you've got Freya to consider and that makes deciding whether to be together or not pretty important'

' My god Sookie Stackhouse…I think you're right'

' You don't have to sound so surprised!'

' Sorry Sook…I guess I just didn't think about it like that'

' How are you feeling about the plan then?' she said as Freya wiggled in her arms

' Not great but I'm trying to stay positive, have to do it for her don't we?' she said giving Sookie a weak smile,

' It'll be alright Maddie, Eric would never let anything happen to either of you, none of us would'

' I know, I'm not worried about me I'm worried about the rest of you, Sook I barely use my powers and I don't really know what I'm capable of doing'

' Well then that's where I come in' Madison and Sookie turned to see Mr Cataliades walk through Sookie's door.

Madison and Sookie sat gaping at him as he ate the sandwich Sookie had prepared for him, his eyes darted to Freya every now and then, which made Madison, feel paranoid,

' So tell me again why you're here?' she said eyes him suspiciously

' I received a visit from Pam last night, on Eric's orders she was to deliver a message to me'

' And that message was?'

' That I and my niece Diantha were to come here and assist you in any way we could'

' And how will you assist me?'

' How often do you train Madison?'

' Train?'

' Fight, how often do you practice your fighting skills?'

' When I actually have to fight?' she said shrugging

' Then we need to up the ante, you will train with Diantha and myself in the day, at night your vampire associates can pitch in and help'

' Oh joy so I get to spend my days off work being beaten to a pulp?'

' Not if you're good enough to stop us' he said smirking

' Why do I have to fight cant I just blow these guys up I've done it before'

' Yes to a demon as I understand it…it wont work the same on a vampire, you're too close to being a vampire yourself I'm afraid physical fighting will be needed'

' So when do we start?'

' Tomorrow when Diantha arrives'

' Cant wait'

' Well good day to you Madison, Sookie…' Madison gripped the table as he leant over Freya in her car seat,

' And too you little angel Freya' he said smiling before turning and leaving

' Well that helps you a bit' Sookie said forcing one of her trademark smiles.

Madison lay in the hot soapy water and thought about what Mr Cataliades had said, she was going to have to physically fight but she still wanted to work on her powers,

' Well that's a nice sight' she turned to see Eric smirking in the doorway

' I had a visit today' she said turning sideways and resting her arms on the side of the bath,

' I see Pam delivered my message then, I wasn't going behind your back I just think training with demons will help us all'

' I know…I know you're just trying to be prepared for this' he smiled and shrugged his leather jacket off before sitting beside the bath and stroking her arm,

' Where's Freya?'

' Sleeping, auntie Sookie wore her out' he smiled and stood up.

He came back from the bedroom minus his shirt and trousers and washed his face in the sink, Madison stared at him in his black boxers and couldn't help feeling a little twinge. Eric paused and turned to look at her, a smile playing on his lips,

' Would I be moving to fast if I asked to join you?' she smiled and shook her head

' I think that would be ok' she said sitting up, he smirked and walked behind her, she saw his boxers fly across the room and felt him slide in behind her.

Madison reclined herself backwards until she was resting against his chest and Eric wrapped his arms around her.

Review please darlings x


	18. Chapter 18

Forgive me for taking so long people, review please or I won't update for months

Chapter 18: This Is War

Waiting for their enemies to make another appearance was killing Madison, she wanted all of this done and dusted as soon as possible. Well that and she was sick of spending her days fighting mr Cataliades and Diantha. They really were demons, they were vicious and she had learnt that within the first five minutes of trying to fend them off.

She was better though, physically and with her powers, she'd got the hang of telepathy when Diantha had tried to get to Freya one day. It was only Diantha trying to get Madison to let go, she wouldn't have hurt Freya and Madison knew that. It still didn't stop her throwing Diantha through the air into a large tree.

It also turned out that Madison could do more than she thought, she particularly enjoyed freezing things and setting fire to things, which made mr Cataliades quite nervous. He hated fire.

Her vampire side was strengthening as well. She now trained with Eric at sundown and she had to admit that at times when they were fighting it felt more like foreplay to her.

She had to admit spending so much time with Eric had broken through a little barrier in her mind, of course he was still evil Eric, sheriff Eric but at home with her and Freya he was different.

Eric had spies running all over the south bringing him the latest news, so far Alexei and Appius were making themselves quite well known and they were now starting to edge towards other vampire sheriffs' territories,

' If they cross the lines we'll have an all out war on our hands' bill said as he paced Madison's lounge,

' I don't want the other sheriffs involved in this, this is our issue' Eric said, Pam stood beside him and nodded,

' Well what do you think we should do about this, I mean are they looking for something?' Sookie said rubbing her eyes, they'd been talking for hours about what to do and everyone was growing weary of the subject,

' No, I think Appius has just finally lost control of Alexei' Godric said, Madison noted the pained look in his eyes, Godric still hated the violence that went hand in hand with vampire politics,

' Then maybe we need to draw them back here?' Madison said quietly, the room silenced and everyone turned to look at her,

' What do you suggest?' bill asked looking intrigued

' Who have they been killing most?'

' Well humans right, they're feeding?' Sookie guessed

' No actually our spies are saying they're targeting the supes, mostly were wolves' Pam said moving to sit next to Madison,

' Then there you go we need to do something to draw a few were's here and make sure it's well known and they'll come running' Madison said tiredly

' My god sugar you really are more than just a pretty face' Pam said smiling

' But then aren't we risking the were's lives, they're not gonna go for that' Sookie said

' They will if they think they've got a shot at ripping two vampires apart' Eric said wistfully,

' That wont be enough, they'd help us kill them maybe, but they're not gonna risk losing any more of their pack unless it's a sure thing' Madison muttered

' Maddie has a point, the were's numbers have decreased a lot lately with Appius and Alexei not to mention that Whitney taking a few of them out' bill said sitting next to Sookie,

' That's it'

' What?' bill said looking perplexed, Eric smiled at her

' Whitney can be the bait' Eric said, his eyes lit up and Madison nodded

' But how do we get Whitney here, she's been in hiding since her last venture?' Godric added solemnly,

' We need to ask Demetri a big favour' Madison said, she hated the idea of having to drag Demetri back into this but they needed him for this to work,

' Can Rodrigo find him?' Pam asked Madison

' Don't see why not, but we need to think this through properly before we involve him, we're asking him to risk his life so I want to be sure about this' Madison said calmly, the others nodded.

They continued talking and when Li, Russell, Sam, her father and Alcide joined them they shared their idea,

' Sounds good to me' Sam said smiling

' Just one problem' Li said solemnly

' Oh god what now?' Sookie said hanging her head

' Appius and Alexei are insane but the insane still get followers and they've picked up quite a few if rumours are true' Li said

' So they're gathering an army…fuckers!' Pam spat angrily

' They want a war' Eric muttered

' It's the child, he wants some semblance of his authority back, don't forget he should have been the tsar of Russia and he had it snatched away, he's had years to brood on that' Godric said standing

' Fuck' Madison muttered

' Any idea how many followers he's got?' Alcide asked Li

' No, it's a rumour but I believe it's true and I think he'll gather as many different supes as he can to strengthen his numbers'

' It is true' everyone turned as mr Cataliades and Diantha walked in from the kitchen

' How do you know?' Russell asked

' We were head hunted to join them, so now we're on the run, it's join Alexei or die'

' We're fucked' Sam muttered

' Don't be so negative Sam' Sookie scolded

' Well come on Sook, most supes are gonna run when they hear that'

' He has a point' Pam said looking at Eric

' Then we need to re-think this don't we' Eric said pacing the same length of floor bill had been occupying,

' But not tonight…we all need to feed and rest, but I would suggest you start warning the other sheriffs Eric, their areas are in danger now' Godric said standing and Eric nodded,

' I'll be back before sunrise' he said kissing Madison

' Pam with me' he said

' This is war' Pam said smirking deviously, seconds later he and Pam were gone in a blur,

' Li if you could keep tabs on them I'd be grateful' she nodded

' I'll help' Russell added and the two left in another blur

' Alcide, Sam I'm afraid I must ask the two of you to see how many supes and were's you can add to our cause?'

' We'll do what we can' Alcide said and Sam nodded in agreement

' Mr Cataliades, Diantha can the two of you see how many demons you can pull to our side' they nodded

' I still have a few contacts I think we can get a few over if you can provide somewhere safe for them?'

' I'm sure something can be arranged'

' Madison you need to train harder, we're really going to need you in this, I will help you myself at sundown from now on' she nodded

' I can stay and help with Freya, you're going to be exhausted' her father said rubbing her shoulder, she smiled and squeezed his hand,

' I'm sorry everyone I hate this as much as the rest of you but I'm afraid we're at war' Godric said sitting back down.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Vulnerable

Madison seemed to spend her every waking moment fighting with someone. It was Godric she dreaded, she may be a whole new breed of something but he was over 2000 years old and that made him stronger.

Rodrigo paid for Demetri to fly over, he was escorted the whole was by Lucien but he was jittery when he arrived. He'd been with them a few days and he hadn't calmed down at all,

' I'm sorry Demetri if we had another way to do this without involving you…' Madison said regretfully,

' No I'm glad I can help you…I just hoped I would never have to see her again' he mumbled,

' If I get my way you wont have to, we just need one of her little cronies to see you and tell her you're back and she'll come find us'.

A week passed before news began to spread that Demetri had returned. Madison knew it wouldn't be long before Whitney showed up.

It was also now known to them that Appius and Alexei were frequenting the area,

' They're close…they get closer into my territory every night' Eric said angrily as he sat down on the bed. Madison stared at him, she hadn't seen him for a week and it was times like this when she hated him being the sheriff.

She crawled over to him and rubbed his shoulders, Eric groaned and moved his head from side to side,

' It's good to feel your touch again' he said huskily, she smiled and kissed the nape of his neck. Eric's skin was warm and damp from the shower he'd just taken and she rubbed her cheek against his back enjoying it.

Eric moaned and flipped over so he was on top of her, he kissed her gently and held her body tightly to his,

' Where's Freya?' he murmured in between kisses

' With my dad' she said smiling

' We're alone?' she nodded and kissed him again, Eric gave her a small smile and kissed her with more force.

Madison pushed him over onto his back and straddled him, she ran her fingers over his chest and he lay still, smiling at her. She ran her fingers down his chest and stomach then moved them to her legs. She ran her fingers up the tops of her legs to the hem of the black silk nightdress she had worn.

It wasn't a coincidence she had worn this, a week without Eric around had made her realise how much she missed having him close and how much she wanted him.

She raised the nightdress over her head and threw it to the floor. Eric stared up at her flawless body, her beautiful, pert breasts, her flawless alabaster skin and her eye's inviting him in.

He stayed where he was and ran his hands over her breasts, letting his fingers glide slowly and gently over her nipples. He smiled as he felt them harden under his touch and watched as Madison closed her eyes and parted her lips, her breathing shallow. He continued to run his hands over her body until she gripped his wrists tightly.

She leant down over him; her nipples grazed his chest as she kissed him before pulling his towel open.

Madison moved and took Eric inside of her, she began to grind roughly against him and Eric delighted in watching her breasts bounce as she moved. He sat up and gripped her ass so he could pound into her harder. Madison moaned as Eric pulled out of her and turned her around so he was entering her from behind. He thrust into her and she heightened herself up onto her knees. Eric grasped her breasts as he continued to pound in and out of her; he had missed her warmth enveloping him. She reclined her head back and moved her arms behind her so she could hold onto him,

' Harder…please harder' she gasped, Eric let out and almost animalistic growl, her wrapped one arm across her stomach and looped the other one under her arm so he could grip her shoulder.

Madison moaned as Eric slowed down, he was on top of her now and he had slowed his pace right down, he thrust into her slowly and with more purpose, he paused and looked at her,

'I've missed you' he said quietly as he stroked a strand of hair out of her face, Madison smiled and stroked his cheek,

' Eric, make love to me' she murmured, he kissed her and continued.

She lay in Eric's arms and ran her fingers over his chest, he had his face immersed in her hair and was occasionally kissing her head,

' Maddie?' he mumbled to check she was awake,

' Hmm?' she murmured

' I know I don't say it very much…but I love you…you do know that don't you?' she couldn't believe how vulnerable Eric sounded saying that,

' I know…I love you too' she said raising her head to kiss him.

Review please x

I know it's a tad on the short side and I apologise x


	20. Chapter 20

**please forgive me for taking so long to update. i cried a little writing this chapter so just a warning it's gonna get quite sad xxx**

Chapter 20: Blame

A month had passed and Madison felt like all she'd done was train and work. Eric had been absent a lot of the time but they used their time together well.

Things were getting worse though; it was 2am when Madison was once again woken by her screaming daughter. Freya hadn't been herself for weeks, she barely ate or slept and Madison was panicking.

She called Dr Ludwig; enough was enough,

' What's wrong with her?' she asked biting her nails nervously

' I'm not sure…I need to run a few tests on her' at that moment Eric burst through the kitchen door and stared at Madison,

' Is she alright?' he asked sternly, he looked so tired and she hated burdening him further but this was his daughter,

' Dr Ludwig needs to run more tests' she said quietly

' You need to sleep' he said forcefully

' No…she needs me' she could hear the sleep deprivation in her voice,

' You're no good to her if you're exhausted, I'll stay with her'.

Eric sat beside Madison until she fell into a deep sleep before he returned downstairs to Dr Ludwig and his daughter,

' Tell me what's wrong with her' Eric said stonily to Dr Ludwig, Dr Ludwig sighed and sat down,

' From what I can tell…it's like her body is rejecting…well…itself' she looked solemnly at Eric,

' So what can we do?' he said pacing the floor

' I'm afraid there really isn't anything we can do…her blood, her bone marrow and even her organs are all being rejected…she's very similar to Madison but the difference is Madison is a fully grown adult who is capable of fighting through it…a little baby like Freya wont survive this for much longer…I'm sorry Mr Northman' Eric stared at her, he refused to believe what he was hearing,

' Are you telling me my daughter is going to…die?' she nodded and looked down

' There is nothing we can do?' his tone was so quiet it scared Dr Ludwig,

' I'm sorry…if I could do anything I would you have to believe that…anything we do will just keep your daughter in agony Mr Northman'

' She's in agony?' he looked dumbstruck and Dr Ludwig nodded,

' She's a baby…she doesn't comprehend pain as we do so she doesn't know how to communicate it to anyone…there's nothing I can do to stop it either…for the first time in a long time I feel completely helpless Mr Northman'

' How long do you think she has?' he was speaking in a whisper now,

' It could be days but at the longest…weeks maybe?' he looked down and gripped the chair he sat in,

' We don't say a word to Madison…she couldn't take this'

' Is that's what you want…what do I tell her though?'

' Tell her…tell her Freya may have pneumonia…I don't want her to think any part of this was her fault' Dr Ludwig nodded

' I'll come by everyday to check on her' she said standing up and packing her bag up.

Eric sat on the floor next to his daughter in her Moses basket. He gently stroked his tiny daughters burning cheek as blood trickled down his cheeks.

A week later Freya's pain ended.

Eric cradled a screaming Madison in his arms. Everyone came to the burial and offered his or her condolences but Eric was certain Madison wasn't hearing a word anyone was saying to her.

**1 month later**

Madison had barely moved in a month. Eric stayed with her the whole time, he cradled her in his arms, he bathed her and at times he had to force feed her his own blood just to keep her going.

He had expected her to be angry and to blame him but if anything she clung to with more need than he'd ever seen in her, it was as though she was terrified of losing him too.

They spent most of their nights crying in each other's arms. It was the one time Eric allowed himself to cry and mourn the loss of his child. It was a pain he had never forgotten in over 1000 years and now it increased with the loss of Freya.

He lay in bed with Madison, holding her close to him as he had done every single night,

' Was it my fault?' Madison whispered hoarsely

' What! No…Madison it wasn't anyone's fault, how could we have known Freya would catch pneumonia?'

' Eric…please just stop…it wasn't pneumonia…please just tell me?' he gripped her tighter and pushed his face into her hair,

' She was in pain Madison…it wasn't your fault…Dr Ludwig wasn't sure what caused it but her body was rejecting itself…it wasn't your fault'

' Was it because she was like me?' she said burying her face in his chest

' Only partly…there's a reason we've never heard of a child like Freya Maddie…they just aren't strong enough to survive what we are, that's why we don't turn children'

' Do you think she was in a lot of pain?'

' Dr Ludwig said she was…she said anything we did would just be keeping Freya in pain and I couldn't face doing that to her Maddie…I couldn't stand the thought of her hurting so I made the choice…blame me if you need to but I did it because I love her and I love you…if I could have swapped places with her I would have…'

' I don't blame you…you made a choice I couldn't have made to stop our daughter from suffering…I'll always love you for that' she felt his grip tighten around her and he pressed his face firmly against her hair.

She could feel the blood seeping through her hair onto her skin but she didn't move.

**Please review xxx**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: The Wake Up Call

3 months passed since Freya's death. It took a long time before Madison could even function properly as a person again. Nothing seemed right to her anymore. as far as she was concerned the world had ended with her daughters life.

she spent most of her time with eric, she hadntleft the house in months, except to attend freyas funeral. she was in the lounge with Eric when Eric suddenly stood up and ran, Madison knew that meant something was happening to Pam.

Minutes later Eric walked through the front door cradling Pam in his arms. Pam looked awful; she looked as though her skin was melting off her body.

She screamed and cursed in pain as Eric bit into his wrist to revive his progeny. Madison stared wide-eyed at Pam, until now the house had been silent and Eric had forbidden any talk of their plans around Madison while she was grieving.

This was a real slap in the face for Madison. She had felt as though as soon as Freya's heart had stopped so had the rest of the world. It took the smell of Pam's burning flesh to make her realise it hadn't. The world had gone on around her; people still lived their lives.

She stood up and walked over to Pam and Eric who were both crouched on the floor,

' I'm sorry…I shouldn't have brought her here but…' Madison raised her hand to silence Eric and cradled Pam's head on her lap, she could tell Eric was somewhere between burning hot rage and agonising pain at seeing Pam like this.

It took three hours for Pam's body to restore itself but she was still wincing in pain,

' Who did this Pam?' Eric said, from his tone Madison could tell the rage had won against the pain,

' It's that Whitney bitch…she knows we're coming for her Eric' Pam winced as she raised her voice,

' I'm going to get the others' Eric said bluntly, he was out the door before either of them could argue with him,

' Was it her that attacked you Pam?' Madison said in a quiet, soothing voice, Pam nodded and winced again,

' How did she get so close to you Pam?'

' She snuck into Fangtasia…bitch threw something on me and told me to tell Eric he better bring his A game if he wants to take her on'

' She was in Fangtasia?'

' Yeah…still is…I didn't have the heart to tell Eric she's taken over the place with all her little cronies…fucking bitch!' Madison stroked Pam's hair gently,

' Get some sleep Pam…you'll recover quicker' Pam smiled up at her

' Thanks sugar…I'm sorry I know things have been awful for you and I wish I wasn't dumping all this on you…'

' Pam you're alive…well as alive as you can get…that's all that matters' Madison said smiling a little and helped Pam upstairs.

Madison moved quickly through the houses and down the quiet roads until she reached the parking lot of Fangtasia. She could sense she wasn't alone and she smiled a broad, malicious smile.

_She would enjoy this._

_She needed this._

_She craved it._

She looked around one more time and placed one foot onto the sparkling concrete parking lot and the sound of clawed paws began to thunder around her.

_Her smile increased._

**Sorry for taking a while to update, please review if you're still out there xxx**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: With A Smile

Eric ran faster than he ever had. His feet barely skimmed the ground beneath him until he reached Fangtasia.

He stared in shock at the sight before him.

Limbs were scattered everywhere, the ground was drenched in claret and the scent in the air made his skin tingle. The whole parking lot and the outside wall of Fangtasia were coated in blood. Fresh lumps of burning flesh littered the concrete and in the middle of it all stood Madison.

She was covered in blood splatters and had her back to him.

Eric crossed the parking lot to her and could see her shaking violently,

' Madison?' he said in a quiet, raspy voice

' She wasn't here' Madison said quietly. Eric felt torn, he was angry with her for running off and into such a dangerous situation but on the other hand a part of him was just glad she'd finally left the house,

' We need to go' he said placing a hand on her blood-covered shoulder

' She wasn't even here Eric!' she said bitterly, the snap in her voice made Eric grip her shoulder,

' Madison…I don't understand…couldn't you sense that she wasn't here?'

' Yes'

' Then why stay and wreak this much carnage, why not wait until she was present and then kill her?' he felt her body tense up and waited for her to direct her anger at him. Instead he felt he body weaken and she started to shake again. She turned to look at him and it suddenly seemed to Eric that for all her strength and immortality, she had never seemed more human to him. She was so scared, so weakened that it began to get to him,

' Because…I was just so angry' she broke at the end of the sentence and fell against his strong torso. Eric gripped her tightly to him as her whole body shuddered,

' I needed to make someone else hurt like I'm hurting…I can't even remember what I did Eric…it's like I just blacked out'

' It's ok Maddie' he whispered quietly as he glanced his eyes over the massacre she had created.

_She tore animals in half._

_She broke bones._

_She tore flesh._

_She drank blood._

_She burned carcasses._

_And she did it all with a smile._

Madison replayed those night's events over and over in her mind. She still couldn't remember the whole thing; in fact there were huge gaps missing. And whenever she did remember something it wasn't like a memory to her, she couldn't have done those things could she. She knew she could but seeing it replay in her head still felt like she was watching someone else's actions, not her own.

She tried to explain it to Eric but she was struggling to put it into words. She looked over to him as she lay in the hot bath water; Eric sat on the floor beside the bath,

' If you want to leave I understand' she said quietly, he turned so quickly it startled her but not as much as the look on his face,

' Don't ever say that again!' he was quiet as he spoke but the threat was greatly implied,

' Eric…I feel like I'm…falling apart' she said quietly, she could feel the tears burning in her eyes as she said it. He stood up and, fully clothed, climbed into the bath with her. He pulled her close and they lay in the warm water together,

' Then you need to let me put you back together' he muttered as he kissed her forehead.

They lay in bed together after Madison had spent two hours crying non-stop. She had to admit it felt good to finally let all those tears out. Eric patiently held her close and didn't say a word,

' Do you feel better for letting that out?' he said as he stroked her hair

' Yes…I've been awful to you haven't I?'

' No Maddie, losing Freya…it made me remember things I buried a long time ago, I felt pain I never wanted to feel again…if I lose you too Maddie…I'll have nothing left'

Madison kissed Eric gently on the lips and for the first time in months they made love that night. They weren't quite back to where they had been but they were getting there.

It took them two days to leave their bed and return to reality. Maddie was wishing they had stayed in bed as soon as she saw the gathering waiting for them at Bills.

**Sorry for taking so long, hope everyone had a lovely Xmas and New Year xxx**

**Please review xxx**


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